Book Review: Chatter by Ethan Kross – A Psychology-Based Guide to Managing Your Inner Voice
- Audrey
- Jul 17, 2025
- 3 min read
I listened to this book on audible. It is also available in paperback at Moray Libraries
📖 272 pages
🎧 5 hours 45 minutes
Overview
Chatter: The Voice in Our Head (and How to Harness It) explores the internal dialogue we all experience, the stream of thoughts, questions, and critiques inside our mind. Written by Ethan Kross, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan, the book balances research findings with personal anecdotes and real-life examples making it easy to read and digest.
While Chatter leans more toward popular psychology than traditional self-help, it offers practical, evidence-based strategies for reducing overthinking and rumination—issues that can affect our mental wellbeing if left unchecked.
Some of my personal takeaways from Chatter:
🗣️ Shift Your Perspective with Pronouns
Changing how we talk to ourselves, specifically, using “you” or our own name instead of “I” can reduce emotional distress. For example, When reflecting an embarrassing moment or regretful action, instead of thinking “Why did I do that?”, saying “Why did you do that?” can helps create psychological distance, encouraging more constructive self-reflection.
💬 Balancing Emotional and Cognitive Needs
When sharing our worries with others, we usually seek two things: emotional support, and answers as to how to move forward or gain closure (cognitive needs). Repeatedly venting to others helps to meet our emotional needs, but if our cognitive needs aren’t met too, it can have the unhelpful consequence of pushing others away and isolating ourselves further.
Side note: This is where psychological therapy can help, by offering a space to meet both needs effectively.
🌿 Environment Shapes Thought
Our surroundings influence our inner world. Kross explains how being in nature can improve attention which in turn makes it easier to consciously shape that inner monologue. Even small changes in our physical space can support a calmer mental state.
🧠 Emotional Pain = Physical Pain?
Kross notes that brain scans show that emotional pain shows up in the brain very similarly to physical pain. This finding reminds us that unhelpful self-talk and rumination can have real consequences for our wellbeing.
Who Should Read This Book?
I would recommend Chatter to anyone who finds themselves overthinking, stuck in cycles of worry, or curious about how the inner voice works from a psychological perspective.
Most the techniques that Ethan Ross shares throughout his book work by creating some distance between our thoughts and our sense of self, an approach that aligns closely with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Whether you're navigating everyday stress or want to better understand the science of self-talk, this book offers practical tools and insight in a digestible, engaging way.
Bonus: There’s a helpful 10-page summary at the end to consolidate the key strategies.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Chatter is an insightful and accessible read. The research is well-referenced, and the techniques are easy to understand and implement. It’s a great starting point if you’re looking to feel more in control of your thoughts and reduce everyday rumination.
Want to Tame Your Inner Chatter?
As Kross explains, chatter (also known as overthinking, worry, or rumination) is not the same as clinical depression, anxiety, or PTSD. However, it is recognised as a transdiagnostic risk factor—meaning it often plays a central role in those conditions.
If unhelpful chatter is making daily life harder, psychological therapy can help you feel more in control and less overwhelmed. Reach out today to explore how psychological support can quiet the noise.
