Thank you for this article!

I am doing a lot of self-talk, instructional as well as motivational, internal, and external.

Both are opening up alternative viewpoints. And thinking in the third person reduces the affective attachment to our own emotions. It gives more distant, and thus, new ideas are possible. I would claim that self-talks are needed to get a more fluid and creative mindset.

I am regularly using self-talks to prepare myself for (difficult) discussions, for presentation, or for performing tasks more effective. And whenever possible, I am doing this aloud, either at home when I am alone or in my car. I am taking both (or several) points of view, and argue from these different perspectives and the viewpoint of the different people. It prepares for unexpected situations because of the flexibility gained in the thinking.

Some years ago, I had sometimes even written letters to myself, and it was interesting to see the thoughts a few days later with a fresh view and how the different directions of thinking have developed. Today, it’s taking notes on my mobile. Daily, I am writing such notes from a third person’s angle and addressed to me. It is still amazing to see how such a simple technique of “self-talk” records can develop more sustainable and effective actions.