Have you ever wondered why we have an inner voice? Today, I talk to Ethan Kross, an award-winning psychologist and author of the national bestseller, Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It. In our conversation, we discuss the benefits and pitfalls of having an inner voice. He also shares some tools on how to harness your inner voice to combat anxiety, improve physical and mental health, and deepen your relationships with others. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! 3 Takeaways: Why we talk to ourselves Using our inner voice to ease anxiety, improve health, and deepen relationships with others Tools for avoiding the “dark side” of our inner voice Ethan Kross, author of the National Bestseller Chatter The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It, and Professor of Psychology and Management & Organizations at the University of Michigan, he is the director of the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory. Get Hunter's book, Raising Good Humans now! Click here to order and get book bonuses! ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindful mama mentor. She coaches smart, thoughtful parents on how to create calm and cooperation in their daily lives. Hunter has over 20 years of experience in mindfulness practices. She has taught thousands worldwide. Be a part of the tribe—we’re over 25 thousand strong! Join the Mindful Parenting membership. Take your learning further! Get my Top 2 Best Tools to Stop Yelling AND the Mindful Parenting Roadmap for FREE at: mindfulmamamentor.com/stopyelling/ Want to teach Mindful Parenting? Learn more about the Mindful Parenting Teacher Training program here: mindfulparentingcourse.com/teach/ Find more podcasts, blog posts, free resources, and how to work with Hunter at MindfulMamaMentor.com. Be sure to check out this deal from this week’s sponsor: Find amazing, beautiful one-of-a-kind designs in minutes – for free! Head over to Evite.com/HUNTER Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices