Talking to yourself actually means you are smart...here's why

Talking to oneself is mostly associated with schizophrenia, a mental illness but recent scientific study says it can also be a very positive and healthy behavior.

In an article from Elite Daily, the author, Gigi Engle, discusses about how talking to yourself is a sign of genius. She says, "The smartest people on earth talk to themselves. Look at the inner monologues of the greatest thinkers. Look at poetry! Look at history!"

Christine Schoenwald of YourTango lists some some scientific benefits of talking to yourself:

1. It improves performance and brain function. When you talk to yourself, it helps you to stay on task, keep focused, and improves your perception capabilities. In a study conducted by psychologists Gary Lupyan from University of Wisconsin-Madison and Daniel Swingley  from University of Pennsylvania, they found that using verbal clues helped when searching for lost objects.
2. It boost memory retention. When you talk out loud, it stimulates more sensory channels than when you subvocalize. You actually hear the sounds and you engage your emotions.
3. It helps you prepare and ultimately kill it at important meetings. If you have a presentation or interview, talking to yourself helps you practice and fine tune what you're going to say. If you practice something out loud enough, it will go smoother when you have to do it for real. Proper preparation helps to get rid of stress and anxiety, and you won't trip up over your words.
4. It motivates you. Especially if you use "you" instead of "I." Self-talk has been found to be even more effective if you use second person. Saying, "You can do it" works better than saying, "I can do it." Dr. Sanda Dolcos, a researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign says, "Self-advice expressed using 'You' probably enables people to adopt a broader perspective."
5. It helps your self-esteem. When you compliment and encourage yourself, you get a confidence boost. Talk to yourself like you'd talk to your best friend. Talking to yourself isn't just something that children do; it's an important tool for adults as well. So go ahead and talk to the most important person in your life: you.