If you talk about yourself out loud by name, people think you're a little loony. 

But if you talk about yourself in your head by name, you've got a psychological edge that could help you perform better and be less anxious. 

In times of social stress, the small language shift from "I" to "you" or to your name as you think about the situation can enhance your ability to regulate thoughts and feelings, according to a study in the February issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 

To think about yourself as if you were another person provides psychological space, which helps people exert self-control, says lead author Ethan Kross, associate professor of psychology at the University of Michigan. 

It's sort of a way to tap into your inner coach. "Think of a friend who comes to you for advice with a problem that she's super anxious about," explains Kross. "You're not in the situation so it's relatively easy for you to see the bigger picture, to not get hung up on the details. That's what we're doing here, using language that almost automatically gets you to think about yourself as if you were another."

Read the full article at http://metronews.ca/health/930718/talking-in-the-3rd-person-lowers-anxiety-study/.