What Is Intrapersonal Communication?

Communication allows us to connect with people. Much is said about communication with others: how we relate, how we communicate, how we listen … However, little is said about intrapersonal communication, a type of communication directed at ourselves.

Thus, we understand intrapersonal communication as the discourse that we address to ourselves, whether or not it is pronouncing words. The so-called internal or internal dialogue can have a large number of functions, which we will see throughout the article. Among them, we highlight: self-reflection or introspection, two very important psychological processes to know oneself.

What is intrapersonal communication?

Intrapersonal communication is one that the person establishes with himself. Thus, it is a form of communication that implies that the person himself is, at the same time, the main sender and receiver of the message. It is the one that produces it, also the one to which it is directed.

It usually encompasses those analyzes that we do privately, in relation to things (and to oneself). It could also be defined as internal dialogue, and includes everything that we hear, read or repeat for ourselves.

What is intrapersonal communication for?

Through intrapersonal communication, we connect with ourselves and also connect with our consciousness. It is a form of communication that allows us to reflect, listen to each other, encourage ourselves, accompany each other in painful moments, analyze … Let’s see, in a little more detail, these and other functions of this type of communication:

Allows self-reflection

Intrapersonal communication allows us to reflect on the environment and also on ourselves. It is a conversation with oneself that can lead us to explore areas of our life that may not be going so well, for example.

It connects us with our essence

In a world where we spend a lot of energy and time on others, doing things outwardly, finding moments to talk to ourselves can help us reconnect with our essence. It may be the ideal space to write a definition of the self that is the basis of our growth.

What does this mean? Connect with our emotional world, with our memories and our experiences. In a sense, this means getting close to them and “turning off” the noise from the outside world.

Promotes self-listening

Listening to ourselves implies shutting up everything outside and paying attention to ourselves. This can happen, in large part, thanks to intrapersonal communication. Why?

Because this implies thinking inward and speaking to ourselves from there. Remember that this type of communication not only includes the emission and reception of a message orally (speaking), but also through thought.

Allow introspection

Associated with all of the above, introspection is another of the functions or possibilities that allows intrapersonal communication. Introspection is defined as the observation that a person makes of his own conscience, or of his moods, in order to reflect on them.

This is related to other elements already mentioned: listening, reflection and even self-care. In psychology introspection is a key element that allows people to “stop” and focus within themselves, in order to resolve conflicts, to accompany each other, to understand, to integrate experiences …

Examples of intrapersonal communication

There are different ways of exercising this type of communication. Let’s see the most important:

Speaking out loud

This is what is classically known as “speaking alone.” It also includes reading something aloud to yourself.

It can be a useful practice to calm yourself down, pay attention to something in particular, organize your ideas, promote concentration … Many times, talking to yourself out loud occurs unconsciously.

Negative thoughts

Negative thoughts are ideas that appear, often intrusively, in our minds. They generate anguish and can really affect our mood and other aspects such as self-esteem.

Thus, it also implies a form of intrapersonal communication, in this case, dysfunctional or negative. With therapy this way of directing ourselves, through thought, can be combated.

Between the parts of the body

It is a bit more particular communication, and not so psychological. In this case, we are talking about some organ of the body sending a message to the central nervous system.

Imagine, for example, the sensations of cold or heat, tickling, feeling burning … This is also intrapersonal communication, although at other levels.

Final thoughts

And you, do you talk to yourself? Do you use this type of communication throughout the day? To what end? Taking care of our internal language, everything we say to ourselves, is essential to enjoy good mental health.

As in everything in life, talking with oneself is also “learned”, and for this reason it is important to review this internal dialogue so that it is adaptive, useful and a good companion in life. If you feel that your internal speech is causing you discomfort, listen to yourself and ask for help if you feel that you need it.