Talking to Yourself - Out Loud, Of Course

I was just thinkin’ that I think out loud a lot. My mother always said that it is quite okay to talk to yourself as long as you don’t answer. I can’t really remember why we occasionally had this conversation. Was it because she noticed I was talking to myself or was she just trying to explain her own actions. I simply can’t recall. Problem is. I do answer from time to time. I wonder if she did as well.

Most often I answer as I check things off a list. I talk through the list - out loud, of course. Then mentally check what has been completed. This happens regularly at the grocery store. I mumble as I check off each item in my cart and off an actual list. It is comforting to pass another shopper and hear them doing the same, oblivious to the fact that someone else noticed.

I also talk through my to do list. What I’m going to do first; what I need to do next; what I need to not forget. It’s the same, when I’m cooking. I review a recipe as I make it, checking that I’ve carefully followed each line of directions.

There are important reasons to say something out loud to yourself. “I unplugged my curling iron.” “I turned off the oven.” “I locked the door.” These words give us comfort and keep us from worrying when we leave the house for the day. Saying it out loud helps us remember and I take advantage of that strategy when needed.

Of course, talking out loud to yourself can confuse others at times. When I shared an office, my office mate often asked me if I was talking to her or to me. Most of the time, it was to me. I’d be concentrating on something I was trying to figure out. Understanding a new concept or organizing some document to share. She got used to it and so did I get used to her interrupting my thoughts.

Talking to myself comes in most handy when I’m trying to solve a problem. I work through it in my head and think through all of the complexities of the problem. Then I try to figure out possible ways to solve it. Thinking out loud helps me put everything in its place. When paired with a nice hike in the woods or on the farm with Winnie and Duke, I can really accomplish a lot toward solving those problems.

Anyway, I don’t think I could possibly change this. I simply have to speak the words that need to be said out loud in order for my brain to work at times. Surely there is some research out there that says that talking to yourself improves focus and strategic thinking. That’s my thought anyway, and I don’t mind saying it out loud!

So, what about you? Do you talk to yourself?