Curious Corner

Sometimes, what we call a ‘madman’ is simply a person, with enough courage to talk openly to the voice in his head that we all have. We all have that inner voice, some are more aware about it while some are less but it is there in all our heads. And it is an innate part of ourselves. It shapes so much of our life choices and important decisions. However very few people acknowledge it, try to understand it and use it for their own good. 

Double Edged Sword

Self talk can go both ways, it can be negative and undermine your confidence or it can be positive and push you ahead in life. For some, positive self-talk comes naturally while for others it might not be the case. And for some maybe their inner voice is more of a critique than a coach. Whatever the case may be, we all can do better. However, in order to learn to use it for good, you must first openly acknowledge it and understand that there is nothing wrong with talking to yourself. And it’s completely ok to talk with yourself.

So, what makes  self-talk important? It represents the internal monologue that shapes us, our values & beliefs and our perception of the world. And it is the convergence of our conscious and unconscious minds. It is like a bridge to your unconscious self. Now, how to do it, how to turn your inner critic is not a supporting coach?

Positive Pivot

It starts with a conscious and deliberate effort. You have to consciously monitor and listen to your inner voice. Do this for sometimes and try to understand if your inner voice is more of a coach or a critic. Is there any pattern to it like certain things that might trigger your inner voice. Then the next step is to think it through, is your inner self – overreacting, assuming too much or is it true to itself. Try to understand where your inner voice goes wrong. You will realize that a lot of negativity is irrational and makes no sense to be worried about them. Meanwhile also remember that critique is not bad if it is constructive in nature. Now the third and last step – take back control and train your inner self. You will have to reason with it and point out where it is going wrong and bring it on the correct path. This is the hardest part and it will require constant effort. It is a slow process but with every step you will feel the change in yourself. 

Tips & Tricks

There are some things you could do to make this process easier. Firstly – you need to create some distance between yourself and your inner voice. And one trick that works wonders is how you address your inner voice. Try to use ‘third person’ i.e. – your name when you talk to the voice in your head. And secondly – to cope with negativity initially try to distract yourself by thinking about something else. Maybe even stop what you are doing and start doing something else if possible for sometime. Eventually you will get better at bouncing back negative thoughts into the abyss from where it came.

My Experience

I have been talking to myself since childhood and to be honest I never thought of it as weird and in fact I have always found it helpful specially in the time of great difficulties. And I often find myself talking with me for a variety of reasons – from debating geopolitics to solving issues of daily life. To keep myself motivated during a difficult task or to keep myself calm in stressful situations, I have always been there for me. So, try to be there for yourself and always remember that you are your own best allay.