Day: Date:

Is it normal to talk to yourself?

As your morning alarm blares, you mutter to

yourself, “Why did I set it so early?” While
brushing your teeth, you think, “I need a haircut...
unless?” Rushing out the front door, you reach
for your keys and realize they’re not there.
Frustrated you shout, “I can’t do anything right!”
just in time to notice your neighbor.

当你的早晨闹钟响起时， 你问你自己， “我
为什么设置它这么早? ” 刷牙的时候，你想，
“我需要理发……除非？” 冲出前门， 你伸
手去拿钥匙， 却发现它不在。 失意你喊，
“我什么都做不好! ” 当时你看到你的邻居。

Being caught talking to yourself can feel

embarrassing, and some people even stigmatize
this behavior as a sign of mental instability. But
decades of psychology research show that talking
to yourself is completely normal. In fact, most, if
not all, of us engage in some form of self-talk
every single day. So why do we talk to
ourselves? And does what we say matter?

被人看到你在自言自语， 你可 能会感到尴
尬， 而且有些人甚至指责这一点 行为作为精
神不稳定的标志。 但几十年的心理学研究表
明自言自语 是完全正常的。 事实上，我们大
多数人（甚至每个人） 每天都会自我交谈。
我们为什么跟自己说话呢? 我们说的话重要
吗？

Self-talk refers to the narration inside your head,

sometimes called inner speech. It differs from
mental imagery or recalling facts and figures.
Specifically, psychologists define self-talk as
verbalized thoughts directed toward yourself or
some facet of your life. This includes personal
conversations like “I need to work on my free
throw.” But it also includes reflections you have
throughout the day, like “The gym is crowded
tonight. I’ll come back tomorrow.” And while
most self-talk in adults tends to be silent,
speaking to yourself out loud also falls into this
category.

自我对话是指内心的叙述， 有时也称为内部
语言。 它不同于心理想象或回忆事实和数
字。 具体来说，心理学家将自我对话 定义为
针对自己或生活某个 方面的口头化思考。 这
包括个人对话，如： “我需要练习我的罚
球”。 但它也包括你在一天中的反思， 比如
“健身房今晚很拥挤。 我明天再来”。 虽然
成年人的大多数自我对话 往往是默默无言
的， 但是对自己大声说话也属于这一类。

In fact, psychologists believe our first

experiences with self-talk are mostly vocal, as
children often speak to themselves out loud as
they play. In the 1930s, Russian psychologist Lev
Vygotsky hypothesized that this kind of speech
was actually key to development. By repeating
conversations they’ve had with adults, children
practice managing their behaviors and emotions
on their own. Then, as they grow older, this
outward self-talk tends to become internalized,
morphing into a private inner dialogue.

事实上， 心理学家认为我们与自我对话的第
一次 经历大多是口头的， 因为孩子们在玩耍
时经常大声自言自语。 在上世纪 30 年代， 俄
罗斯心理学家列夫·维果茨基 假设这种言语实
际上是发展的关键。 通过重复他们与成人进
行的对话， 孩子们练习管理自己的行为和情
绪。 随着他们的年龄增长， 这种外向的自我
对话往往会内化， 变成私人的内心对话。

We know this internal self-talk is important, and

can help you plan, work through difficult
situations, and even motivate you throughout the
day. But studying self-talk can be difficult. It
relies on study subjects clearly tracking a
behavior that’s spontaneous and often done
without conscious control. For this reason,
scientists are still working to answer basic
questions, like, why do some people self-talk
more than others? What areas of the brain are
activated during self-talk? And how does this
activation differ from normal conversation? One
thing we know for certain, however, is that what
you say in these conversations can have real
impacts on your attitude and performance.
我们知道这种内部自我对话很重要， 可以帮
助你规划， 处理困难情况， 甚至在一天中激
励你。 然而，研究自我对话可能会很困难。
它依赖于研究对象清晰 地跟踪一种自发的行
为， 这种行为通常是无意识的。 因此，科学
家仍在努力回答基本问题， 例如，为什么有
些人比其他人 更多地进行自我对话？ 在自我
对话期间，哪些大脑区域被激活？ 这种激活
与正常对话有何不同？ 但是，我们确定的一
件事是， 在这些对话中所说的话语可以真正
影响 您的态度和表现。

Engaging in self-talk that’s instructional or

motivational has been shown to increase focus,
boost self-esteem, and help tackle everyday tasks.
For example, one study of collegiate tennis
players found that incorporating instructional
self-talk into practice increased their
concentration and accuracy.

从事具有指导性或激励性的自我对话 已被证
明可以增加专注力，提高自尊心， 并帮助解
决日常任务。 例如，对大学网球选手的一项
研究发现， 将指导性的自我对话纳入练习中
可以增加他们的专注力和准确性。

And just as chatting to a friend can help decrease

stress, speaking directly to yourself may also help
you regulate your emotions. Distanced self-talk is
when you talk to yourself, as if in conversation
with another person. So, rather than “I’m going
to crush this exam,” you might think, “Caleb, you
are prepared for this test!” One study found that
this kind of self-talk was especially beneficial for
reducing stress when engaging in anxiety-
inducing tasks, such as meeting new people or
public speaking.

就像与朋友聊天可以帮助减少压力一样， 直
接与自己交谈也可以帮助你调节情绪。 间接
的自我对话是指你像 与另一个人交谈一样与
自己交谈。 所以，与其说 “我会在这次考试
中表现得很好”， 你可能会想 “迦勒，你为
这次考试做好准备了！” 一项研究发现，这
种自我对话在从事诸如 结识新人或公开演讲
等易引发焦虑 的任务时尤其有益于减轻压
力。

But where positive self-talk can help you,

negative self-talk can harm you. Most people are
critical of themselves occasionally, but when this
behavior gets too frequent or excessively
negative, it can become toxic. High levels of
negative self-talk are often predictive of anxiety
in children and adults. And those who constantly
blame themselves for their problems and
ruminate on those situations typically experience
more intense feelings of depression.

然而，虽然积极的自我对话可以帮助你， 但
消极的自我对话却会伤害你。 大多数人偶尔
会对自己进行自我批评， 但当这种行为过于
频繁或过度消极时， 就会变得有害。 经常和
强烈的负面自我对话 通常与儿童和成年人的
焦虑有关。 而那些经常责怪自己的问题 和反
复思考这些情况的人 通常会体验到更强烈的
抑郁感。

Today, there’s a field of psychological treatment

called cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT,
which is partially focused on regulating the tone
of self-talk. Cognitive behavioral therapists often
teach strategies to identify cycles of negative
thoughts and replace them with neutral or more
compassionate reflections. Over time, these tools
can improve one's mental health.

如今，有一种心理治疗领域 叫做认知行为疗
法，或 CBT， 它部分地专注于调节自我谈话
的语气。 认知行为治疗师通常会教授一些策
略， 帮助人们识别负面思维的循环， 并将其
替换为中立或更有同情心的想法。 随着时间
的推移， 这些工具可以改善一个人的心理健
康。

So the next time you find yourself chatting with

yourself, remember to be kind. That inner voice
is a partner you’ll be talking to for many years to
come.

所以下次当你发现自己在和自己聊天时， 记
得要善待自己。 那个内心的声音是你未来多
年的伙伴。
Day: Date:

Why you procrastinate even when it

feels bad

It’s 5 p.m. and you’ve just realized that report

you’ve been putting off is due tomorrow. It’s
time to buckle down, open your computer... and
check your phone. Maybe catch up on your
favorite YouTube channel? Actually, you should
probably make dinner first. You usually like
cooking, though it’s hard to enjoy with this work
hanging over your head, and oh— it’s actually
pretty late! Maybe you should just try again in
the morning? This is the cycle of procrastination,
and I promise you, we have all been there. But
why do we keep procrastinating even when we
know it’s bad for us?

现在是下午 5 点, 你刚刚意识到, 那篇你一直拖

着没有完成的报告 明天必须提交。现在该开
始努力工作了。于是你打开电脑…… 又刷了
刷手机。 要不再补看几段你最钟爱的
YouTube 视频？ 说实话，你也许应该先准备
晚餐。 你一向喜欢烹饪， 但是有这项工作压
在心上， 你很难享受其中的乐趣。 哎，其实
时候已经不早了！ 也许应该等到明天再说？
这就是拖延症的自我循环，我保证， 咱们都
有过这样的经历。 明知拖延症于己无益， 但
是我们为何无法克服它呢？

To be clear, putting something off isn’t always

procrastinating. Responsible time management
requires deciding which tasks are important and
which ones can wait. Procrastination is when we
avoid a task we said we would do, for no good
reason, despite expecting our behavior to bring
negative consequences. Obviously, it’s irrational
to do something you expect to harm you. But
ironically, procrastination is the result of our
bodies trying to protect us, specifically by
avoiding a task we see as threatening.

需要明确一点， 推迟行动并不总是拖延症。
可靠有效的时间管理要求我们 判断出哪些事
是当务之急， 哪些事可以稍后处理。 如果我
们承诺完成某项任务， 也知道不完成任务会
带来负面影响， 但还是无缘无故地避开这项
任务， 此时的表现才是拖延症。 去做那些明
知于己无益的事 显然是不合理的。 然而出乎
意料的是，拖延症正是由 身体的自我保护机
制造成的。 避开那些自认为具有威胁性的任
务 是其特有的保护方式。

When you realize you need to write that report,

your brain responds like it would to any
incoming threat. Your amygdala, a set of neurons
involved in emotional processing and threat
identification, releases hormones including
adrenaline that kick off a fear response. This
stress-induced panic can overpower the impulses
from your prefrontal cortex, which typically help
you think long term and regulate your emotions.
And it’s in the midst of this fight, flight, or freeze
response that you decide to handle the threat by
avoiding it in favor of some less stressful task.
你意识到自己需要动手写那份报告， 而此
时，你大脑的反应 就如同应对一个即将到来
的威胁。 大脑中有一组称为杏仁体的神经
原， 这组神经元与管理情绪， 识别威胁等功
能相关联。 杏仁体会释放多种荷尔蒙，其中
包括了 能够引发恐慌反应的肾上腺素。 由压
力引发的恐慌感覆盖了 大脑前额皮层发出的
脉冲， 而这些脉冲通常有助于长期性思维，
可以帮助人们控制调节情绪。 在战斗、逃
离、僵住这三种 反应的胶着中， 你决定做些
压力较小的事情， 以回避的方式来应对威
胁。

This response might seem extreme— after all,

it’s just a deadline, not a bear attack. But we’re
most likely to procrastinate tasks that evoke
negative feelings, such as dread, incompetence,
and insecurity. Studies of procrastinating
university students have found participants were
more likely to put off tasks they perceived as
stressful or challenging. And the perception of
how difficult the task is increases while you’re
putting it off. In one experiment, students were
given reminders to study throughout the day.
While they were studying, most reported that it
wasn’t so bad. But when they were
procrastinating, they consistently rated the idea of
studying as very stressful, making it difficult to
get started.

这种应对方式看起来也许很极端， 你面对的
毕竟只是一个截稿期限， 而非遭到熊的攻
击。 然而，我们最有可能拖延的工作 正是那
些引发负面情绪的工作， 比如恐惧、无能、
缺乏安全感等。 研究显示，患有拖延症的大
学生 更易推迟完成那些给他们带来压力， 或
者具有挑战性的学习任务。 然而你越是拖
延， 就越会觉得这些任务难以完成。 有一项
实验，学生在一天中不断收到 提醒他们学习
的提示信息。 学习过程中，大部分学生反映
情况并不是很糟糕。 但是他们一旦拖延起
来， 就会坚持认为，学习这个念头 让他们感
到很有压力， 因此，开始着手学习就变得非
常困难。

Because procrastination is motivated by our

negative feelings, some individuals are more
susceptible to it than others. People who have
difficulty regulating their emotions and those
who struggle with low self-esteem are much
more likely to procrastinate, regardless of how
good they are at time management. However, it's
a common misconception that all procrastinators
are lazy. In the body and brain, laziness is
marked by no energy and general apathy. When
you’re feeling lazy, you’re more likely to sit
around doing nothing than distract yourself with
unimportant tasks. In fact, many people
procrastinate because they care too much.
Procrastinators often report a high fear of failure,
putting things off because they’re afraid their
work won’t live up to their high standards.

因为拖延症是由负面情绪促成的， 所以有些
人就更易受其影响。 对于那些在调节情绪方
面有困难， 或者自我评价较低的人来说， 不
论他们有多么强的时间管理能力， 都更易患
上拖延症。 然而，认为患有拖延症的人都很
懒惰， 则是一种常见的错误共识。 懒惰在身
体和大脑中呈现的特点是 缺乏精力和总体懈
怠。 当你感到懒惰的时候， 你可能会坐下
来，什么也不做， 而不会分心去做一些无足
轻重的事。 事实上，很多人做事拖拉， 是因
为他们忧心过重。 拖延症患者常常表示， 自
己对失败感到极度恐慌， 拖拉是因为害怕，
工作质量无法达到自己设定的高标准。

Whatever the reason for procrastination, the

results are often the same. Frequent
procrastinators are likely to suffer from anxiety
and depression, ongoing feelings of shame,
higher stress levels and physical ailments
associated with high stress. Worst of all, while
procrastination hurts us in the long run, it does
temporarily reduce our stress level, reinforcing it
as a bodily response for coping with stressful
tasks. So, how can we break the cycle of
procrastination?

不论拖延症的成因是什么， 其结果往往都是
一样的。 经常拖延的人很可能会 饱受焦虑抑
郁之苦， 忍受持续不断的羞耻感， 还要承受
比别人更大的压力， 以及各种因压力而引起
的身体不适。 最糟糕的是，拖延症虽然 会给
我们造成长期伤害， 但可以暂时减轻我们的
压力， 这就更加强化了身体在应对 高压工作
时的拖延反应。 那么，我们该怎样摆脱 拖延
症的恶性循环呢？
Traditionally, people thought procrastinators
needed to cultivate discipline and practice strict
time management. But today, many researchers
feel the exact opposite. Being too hard on
yourself can layer additional bad emotions onto a
task, making the threat even more intense. To
short-circuit this stress response, we need to
address and reduce these negative emotions.
Some simple strategies include breaking a task
into smaller elements or journaling about why it's
stressing you out and addressing those underlying
concerns. Try removing nearby distractions that
make it easy to impulsively procrastinate. And
more than anything, it helps to cultivate an
attitude of self-compassion, forgiving yourself,
and making a plan to do better next time.
Because a culture that perpetuates this cycle of
stress and procrastination hurts all of us in the
long term.

传统观念认为，患有拖延症的人 需要培养自
我控制能力， 执行严格的时间管理计划。 但
如今，许多研究人员认为， 情况恰恰相反。
对自己要求太苛刻会增添 任务带来的不良情
绪， 从而使任务的威胁性显得更加强烈。 为
了能够绕过这种抗压反应， 我们需要应付并
减少这些负面情绪。 这里有一些简单的策
略， 比如将任务化整为零， 或者记录下焦虑
的原因， 然后着手解决那些深层顾虑。 尽力
消除身边容易 引起冲动性拖延的各种干扰。
更有助益的方法是培养自悯心态。 原谅自
己，为下一次 取得进步作出规划。 那种将压
力与拖延之间的 循环关系固化的文化观念，
会对所有人造成长远的伤害。