Do you have a voice inside your head? For most of us, the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. And we often turn to this voice for guidance, ideas, and wisdom. But sometimes, this voice can lead us down a rabbit hole of negative self-talk and endless rumination. So, is it possible to take back control and harness the power of this so-called ‘inner chatter’? This is the question that award-winning psychologist and guest on today’s podcast, Dr. Ethan Kross, set out to answer 20 years ago when he began to study the conversations we have with ourselves.

In his brand-new book, Chatter: The Voice In Our Head and How to Harness It, Ethan combines groundbreaking research with real-life examples to illustrate how our inner voice controls our life. The language we use about ourselves, he says, can be incredibly powerful. Yes, there is negative self-talk, but that same voice can also help us innovate, problem-solve, fantasize, rationalize, and in many ways, help us shape our identity. It’s our inner voice that makes us unique as humans, so rather than silencing the chatter, we need to learn how to harness it.

If this all sounds intriguing, but too good to be true, rest assured, this conversation is packed with super-practical advice. You’ll find out:

• Why it’s not always good to talk
• That sometimes ‘in the moment’ is not the best place to be
• What distance self-talk is and how it can help us
• How to harness the placebo effect
• How to support others through their chatter
• When social media is helpful, and when it’s not
• How rituals and awe create control and perspective
• Why you might want to consider putting together your own ‘board of advisors’

This episode is really full of actionable tips that will help you redirect your inner chatter away from rumination and self-criticism towards reflection and self-improvement. I think this is a powerful conversation, and I hope you enjoy listening.

Watch the video version of this interview – click below.