Chatter

Chatter is a maladaptive form of inner speech that gets stuck in negative loops rather than resolving problems. Chatter includes rumination, worry, catastrophizing, self-disparagement, and anxiety-provoking internal dialogue. Effective chatter management redirects or reshapes the mental process rather than relying on simple suppression. Chatter harms thinking by monopolizing attention and reducing cognitive resources for present tasks. Chatter can impair performance, decision-making, and responsiveness to other people. Chatter may harm health by sustaining stress activation beyond the original event.