Professor Pozzulo’s Pick (October, 2024)

 Professor Pozzulo’s Pick (September, 2024)

Chatter: The voice in our head, why it matters, and how to harness it by Ethan Kross, (2021, published by Crown)


My Take: 

Anyone who has found themselves lying awake in the middle of the night with endless thoughts of potential doom can likely relate to this book. I could! In Chatter: The voice in our head, why it matters, and how to harness it, Kross (2021) starts off by describing the negative loop in his head after receiving a threatening letter in his university mailbox. I don’t think you need to be a faculty member to appreciate the negative emotional response this type of letter would evoke; you start to think what it might mean for you and your family’s safety and well-being. Ironically, this is a topic Kross knows about; he researches how the conversations we have with ourselves can impact how we live our lives. Through his research, Kross tries to understand how these conversations can be channeled to make people “happier, healthier, and more productive”.  

 

Kross discusses what it means to “go inside” as his dad would say, in other words, paying attention to your own thoughts and feelings. Through our inner voice we try to make sense of our experiences. And certainly, this voice can be functional. It helps us navigate the world. The challenge is when the voice becomes chatter. Kross describes chatter as the negative dialogue we have with ourselves. It can interfere with rational thought and impact our mental (and physical) health. 

 

According to Kross, by changing the dialogue we have with ourselves we have the “potential to change our lives” and ultimately improve our health and well-being. The last section of the book is entitled, The Tools, which includes several strategies (I counted 26!) available to reduce the negative loops that can run in our minds often on repeat. Not every strategy will be for everyone, but there are lots to choose from and try. My personal favourites: create order in your environment and increase exposure to green spaces.  

 

Have you tried any of the tools described by Kross? Is there a particular strategy you found useful (or not)? 

Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 30, 2024 at 6:10 AM

    Just started reading! Starts off like a mystery novel. Really enjoying it!

    ReplyDelete

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