The Day I Started Talking to Myself (And Listening Back)

By @bilalber

A few months ago... I found myself walking back home after a long draining day at work i was carrying groceries in one hand, scrolling through WhatsApp messages with the other, and mentally going over everything I didn’t finish Suddenly, in the middle of the street I stopped.

Not for anything dramatic just a moment of stillness. A quiet thought passed through my head:

“Are you okay?”

I had no idea who was asking. Maybe my tired self. Maybe a version of me I had pushed aside for weeks. But I realized I hadn't checked in with myself in... I don't know how long. It wasn’t the usual negative chatter like "you messed that up", or "you should’ve done more." It was genuinely caring.

Since that day, I started doing something simple: I talk to myself. Not aloud (usually), but intentionally. I wake up and ask, “How are you, really?” I sit in silence for two minutes during lunch and say, “What’s bothering you today?” At night, I ask, “What made you proud today?”

And here’s the funny part: I started hearing answers. Not in a weird way. But honest ones. I noticed patterns in my stress. I discovered I was ignoring small wins. I realized I was more exhausted emotionally than physically.

That small shift talking to myself with kindness—changed everything. I don’t always have solutions, but now I have awareness. And awareness creates space for change.

We always talk to others. We cheer for them, console them, advise them.

But how often do we offer the same to ourselves?

Reflection prompt:

Try asking yourself one simple question today: how am I really doing.?, Not because you're stressed or feel guilty, but because you genuinely care about yourself. We don’t always pause to listen honestly but sometimes, that one small question can reveal more than you expect.

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