CHATTER: Learning to Love the Voice in Your Head

Whether or not we care to admit it, we all talk to ourselves. A lot. The voice in our heads yaks it up about half the time we’re awake, and it can speak at a rate of 4,000 words per minute. When it gets going like that, not everything it says is particularly helpful. We’ve all gotten stuck dwelling on the past, worrying about the future, or standing idly by as our introspection devolves into negativity. Experimental psychologist Ethan Kross calls these moments chatter. “When the inner voice runs amok and chatter takes the mental microphone,” he says, “our mind not only torments but paralyzes us.” Luckily, there are tools we can use to take back the mic, and in this episode, Ethan talks Rufus through them. Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/thenextbigidea. The Next Big Idea Club — Join us at nextbigideaclub.com/podcast and get a free copy of Adam Grant's new book See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.