INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

- is the act of having an internal dialogue with yourself, in other words, self-talk
- the language used or thought internal to the communicator
- the individual is actively involved in a symbolic processing of messages
- he is both the sender and receiver, providing feedback to himself in an ongoing internal process
This form of communication may also come in the following forms:
1. Writing (by hand or with a word processor) ones thoughts or observations;
2. Making gestures while thinking;
3. Sense making like interpreting maps, texts, signs, and symbols;
4. Interpreting nonverbal communication, like gestures and eye contact; and
5. Communication between body parts like My head is telling me its time for rest.
Importance of Self-Talk
According to some experts like Dr. Adalat Kahn, we can communicate with ourselves 50,000
times a day, which indeed is a lot of communication and needs great attention. An understanding of
intrapersonal communication and improving it can upgrade the quality of our lives. Here are some ways on
how to improve it that emphasize the importance of self-talk.
1. It affects our performance.
Positive intrapersonal communication leads to positive feelings, which in turn generate positive actions.
People who affirm their capabilities, strengths, good qualities perform better than those who oppress themselves
with negative self-dialogue.
2. It influences our communication with others.
People who stammer cannot express themselves clearly or face identical handicaps that stem not from
physical defect but from low self-esteem because of negative intrapersonal communication. Our intrapersonal
communication has either a positive or negative implication for our communication with others.
3. It makes a deep impact on our personality.
Intrapersonal communication has a deep penetrating influence on our overall personality. A bored,
unhappy, and miserable feeling without any reason makes us depressed and frustrated. This affects the way we
deal with people.
STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Monitor and try to improve your intrapersonal communication because of its impact on your personality, life,
performance, and relationships.
The following tips may help you:
1. Awareness You should consciously focus on your thoughts and become aware of their nature so that you
can do something about them.
2. Choice Choose positive thoughts and consciously remove negative ones. Mental discipline, persistence,
and will power can help you do it.
3. Taking action Nothing happens without action. So continuously engage in self-talk which is positive, selfsupporting, and affirmative. Stop of cancel negative thoughts.
4. Prayers Prayers can help you get positively connected to a force bigger than you. Pray for hope and
security to do things well.

SELF-CONCEPT
1. It is an appraisal of yourself including everything you think and feel about yourself.
Ex. My life will be better tomorrow because I have the traits to become successful.
2. It is an organization of qualities that the individual attributes to himself.
Ex. I am ambitious, disciplined, hardworking, persevering, and patient.
3. It is the person you think you are formed in your belief and attitudes.
Ex. I can be a model to the young.
Self- concept has two components: self-image and self-esteem.
1. Self- image is the kind of person you perceive yourself to be. Your perception of yourself includes:
a. PHYSICAL This is being concrete: what you look like, your sex, height, weight, the clothes you
wear,
the kind of car you drive, and the kind of home you have.
b. ACADEMIC This includes how well you perform in school.
c. SOCIAL This has something to do with how you relate with other people.
d. TRANSPERSONAL This covers how well you relate to the supernatural or the unknown.
Examples: Self-Image
I am good looking, standing 53, and weighing 120 lbs.
I am conservative in my choice of clothes.
I am an outstanding student, excelling in all major subjects.
I can communicate well.
I have artistic talents.
I am industrious and dependable.
I love being with people.
2. Self-esteem refers to the feelings and attitude you have about yourself, including how you value yourself.
Examples:
a. Maintaining my scholarship makes me feel great. I enjoy the honor I get. The academic and
speech contests I join further develop my skills, character, and personality.
b. Working harder assures me of a bright future.
c. Because I always call on God, I am positive I am in the right direction.
d. I help others in my own little way. Doing so makes me happy and complete.
You are not born with self- concept, but one plays a major role in building it. Although the
following factors help build your self-concept, most psychologists believe that you yourself can do
much in monitoring, controlling, and coming up with a concept that can truly bring positive results to
your life. These factors are the following:
a. Environment and the significant others (people around you: parents, relatives, teachers,
supervisors, and friends)
b. The image other people have of you
c. Experiences
d. Self-evaluation
e. Self-expectations
f. Others expectation of you
g. Roles you perform

We know that we cannot live alone without other people and we realize that along the innate
function of maintaining the concept of a unified and happy self, we can also consciously work toward
increasing our awareness of who we are our many selves. Together with self-awareness comes the
awareness of others people who play significant roles in helping us build a realistic, unified, and
positive self-concept.
Increasing self-awareness is best illustrated in the Johari Window designed by Joseph Luft.
This illustration distinguishes the private from public selves. It compares aspects of open (public)
versus closed (private) communication relationships.
Known to Self
Known to
Known to Others

Not Known to Self

Open

Blind

Hidden

Unknown

Unknown to

Others
Others Unknown to Others

Known to Self

Not Known to Self

Open Area: This represents many of the persons behaviors, motivations, feelings, likes, and
dislikes openly communicated to others. ( physical appearance, hair color, obvious habits/ practices,
course, age)
Hidden Area: It represents things you know or believe about yourself, but you do not choose to
share them with others. (traumas, past negative events in life, failures, weaknesses, etc.)
Blind Area: You are blind to what others perceive about you. Feedback can make you aware of
this information, but you may or may not decide to adapt or change. ( some mannerisms or personality
traits that one is unconscious of)
Unknown Area: Things that neither you nor others know or acknowledge.
subconscious fears or things you do not remember.

It could be

In life situations, different proportions of knowledge would be drawn for each relationship we
have, depending on the amount of information that we share with an individual or others. In a close
relationship, for example, our OPEN AREA might be considerably larger than the hidden area. When
communicating with a casual acquaintance, however, our HIDDEN AREA would be larger than the open
area.