Talking to Yourself

There are too many things to do these days to fit into the time available. But we try our best.

We juggle. We fit a lot into too few hours. We run. We add to our to-do list. We do more than one thing at once. We sleep a little less. We end dinner before we have all had time to talk about our days.

Where does that get us? It gets us sleep deprived and driving distracted and missing out on great conversations with our loved ones and with ourselves. Yes, we miss out on conversations with ourselves. Taking time to talk to ourselves – in the best sense – lets us check in. Check in on where we have been, where we are, and where we want to go. Some formal rituals allow this time. Sitting with your doctor at an annual physical lets you do this. “So how has the last year been?” Even if you think your doctor only cares about your cholesterol or the numbers on the scale, you can treat the question philosophically.

So, how has your last year been?
Where have you been?
Where are you?
And where do you want to go?

Judith S. Kastenberg, MD, is a Staff Psychiatrist and can be reached at 215-382-6680 ext. 4118.