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In this video, we explore how changing the way we talk to ourselves can help reduce anxiety. Based on a study by Kross et al. (2014), using third-person language or addressing yourself by name, rather than using “I”, creates emotional distance that helps to calm the mind. Whether you’re facing social anxiety, stress from public speaking, or just everyday worries, learning to adjust your internal dialogue can make a big difference. Watch to learn more about how small changes in self-talk can have a powerful impact on your mental health.
The study by Ethan Kross and his colleagues (2014), published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, investigates how using different forms of self-talk (first-person vs. non-first-person) influences emotional regulation, especially under stressful conditions. The key finding is that using non-first-person pronouns (like “you” or one’s own name) helps create psychological distance, which aids in regulating emotions and reduces stress more effectively than using first-person pronouns like “I”. This self-distancing mechanism can reduce anxiety, improve performance in stressful situations, and help people view future stressors as challenges rather than threats. This method is particularly useful even for individuals with social anxiety, showing broad applicability.

Hashtags:

#MentalHealth #AnxietyRelief #SelfTalk #EmotionalRegulation #StressManagement #PsychologyTips #AnxietyHelp #MindsetShift #SelfImprovement #PublicSpeakingAnxiety
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Studies (small sample only):

Gainsburg, I., Sowden, W. J., Drake, B., Herold, W., & Kross, E. (2022). Distanced self-talk increases rational self-interest. Scientific reports, 12(1), 511.

Gainsburg, I., & Kross, E. (2020). Distanced self-talk changes how people conceptualize the self. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 88, 103969.

Kross, E., Bruehlman-Senecal, E., Park, J., Burson, A., Dougherty, A., Shablack, H., … & Ayduk, O. (2014). Self-talk as a regulatory mechanism: how you do it matters. Journal of personality and social psychology, 106(2), 304.

Kross, E., Vickers, B. D., Orvell, A., Gainsburg, I., Moran, T. P., Boyer, M., … & Ayduk, O. (2017). Third‐person self‐talk reduces Ebola worry and risk perception by enhancing rational thinking. Applied Psychology: Health and Well‐Being, 9(3), 387-409.

Moser, J. S., Dougherty, A., Mattson, W. I., Katz, B., Moran, T. P., Guevarra, D., … & Kross, E. (2017). Third-person self-talk facilitates emotion regulation without engaging cognitive control: Converging evidence from ERP and fMRI. Scientific reports, 7(1), 4519.

Orvell, A., Vickers, B. D., Drake, B., Verduyn, P., Ayduk, O., Moser, J., … & Kross, E. (2021). Does distanced self-talk facilitate emotion regulation across a range of emotionally intense experiences?. Clinical Psychological Science, 9(1), 68-78.

Webb, T. L., Miles, E., & Sheeran, P. (2012). Dealing with feeling: a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of strategies derived from the process model of emotion regulation. Psychological bulletin, 138(4), 775.