“…in lockdown the only person I was guaranteed to speak to every day was me.”
At the beginning of 2020, Guardian newspaper journalist Daniel Lavelle set himself the target of having a meaningful conversation with a stranger every day for a month, to see if it could combat loneliness and help with social anxiety.
And then the first lockdown hit, and he found himself lonely and isolated with no-one to talk to. In an article published in the Guardian this week, Daniel Lavelle explores whether or not his new habit, of talking to himself every day, is a healthy way to combat loneliness.
Lecturer Paloma Mari-Beffa explains that talking to yourself is in fact very normal. So much so, in fact, that we are wired to have some sort of dialogue with ourselves most of the time. However, our brains cleverly categorise this.
“When you talk out loud, it’s not random – you organise it, you control it, you give it shape.” Mari-Beffa explains. The two sides of the brain can sometimes be active at the same time, often seen in conditions such a Tourettes syndrome and schizophrenia. “When people are under extreme stress, or suffering with mental illness, both networks can be active at the same time.”
Evidence shows that talking to oneself can have benefits. A study from the University of Michigan “found that self-talk can increase self-esteem, improve confidence and help us overcome difficult challenges. The paper, published in 2014, said that those who referred to themselves with second- and third-person pronouns managed their thoughts better than those who spoke in the first person.”
The full article can be read here: Talking to yourself: a good antidote to loneliness – or the sign of a real problem? | Health & wellbeing | The Guardian
And for Daniel Lavelle's earlier piece on a month of meaningful conversation: A month of meaningful conversation: my quest to befriend a new person every day | Health & wellbeing | The Guardian
