And How Do I Work With My Chattering Inner Voice?
Two voices – two experiences: Right now, as you read these words, you have at least two distinct voices speaking inside you.
One voice is like a rushing stream—constant, worried, planning, replaying conversations, warning you about tomorrow. This is your chattering voice.
The other voice is like a deep well—quiet, steady, and clear. This is your authentic voice, the wisdom of your deeper self, your soul.
Most of us have spent so much time listening to the rushing stream that we’ve forgotten the deep well even exists. But it’s always there, waiting. And learning to find it can transform your experience of stress, anxiety, and daily life into something more peaceful, stable, and genuinely empowered.
PRACTICE 1: Meet Your Two Voices
Let’s start with direct experience. Try this right now:
Step 1: Think about something you’re worried about—maybe a decision you need to make or a situation causing you stress. Notice what happens in your body. Where do you feel tension? Is your breathing shallow? Does your chest feel tight? Does your stomach clench?
Step 2: Notice the quality of thoughts that arise. Are they rapid? Urgent? Do they spiral or loop? Do they use words like “must,” “should,” “what if,” or “never”?
Step 3: Now place one hand on your heart. Take three slow breaths, breathing in for four counts, out for six counts. With each exhale, let your shoulders drop a little.
Step 4: Ask yourself this question gently: “What do I really need to know about this situation?” Then just listen. Don’t force an answer. Just create space and notice what emerges—it might be a feeling, a word, an image, or simply a sense of calm.
Did you notice a difference between the two experiences? The first is your chattering voice. The second is the doorway to your authentic voice.
Understanding Your Chattering Voice
Imagine your chattering voice as a smoke alarm. A smoke alarm has one job: detect potential danger and make noise. It doesn’t care if it’s actual fire or just burnt toast—it screams either way.
Your chattering voice works the same way. It’s the part of your mind that believes its job is to keep you safe by constantly scanning for problems, rehearsing worst-case scenarios, and reminding you of every mistake you’ve ever made. It means well, but it doesn’t know the difference between real danger and burnt toast.
This voice has several characteristics:
- It’s loud and insistent: It demands your attention right now
- It’s repetitive: It loops the same worries over and over
- It’s dramatic: Everything feels urgent and critical
- It’s fearful: It focuses on what might go wrong
- It contracts your body: When it speaks, you physically tighten
Here’s what doesn’t work: Fighting this voice. Trying to shout it down. Telling yourself you “shouldn’t” feel anxious. Attempting to think only positive thoughts.
Why doesn’t this work? Because resistance creates more noise. It’s like trying to smooth water by slapping it—you just create more waves.
Understanding Your Authentic Voice
Your authentic voice is completely different. Think of it as sunlight filtering through deep water—gentle, illuminating, but not forcing its way in.
This voice has its own distinct qualities:
- It’s quiet and subtle: It doesn’t shout; it whispers or simply knows
- It’s patient: Truth doesn’t rush because truth is timeless
- It’s calm: There’s no frenzy or urgency in its tone
- It’s expansive: When it speaks, you feel space opening up
- It softens your body: Your breathing deepens, your muscles release
Your authentic voice might arrive as:
- A quiet knowing in your mind
- A warm feeling in your heart
- A gut sense in your belly
- A subtle awareness throughout your whole body
- A combination of all these
It’s not “out there” somewhere—it’s already within you, like a radio station that’s always broadcasting. You just need to tune in to the right frequency.
PRACTICE 2: Find Your Inner Compass
This practice helps you locate where your inner wisdom lives in your body. Everyone experiences it differently—there’s no wrong answer.
Step 1: Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Take three deep breaths.
Step 2: Think of a time when you absolutely knew something was right for you. Maybe a decision that worked out perfectly, or a moment when you just knew what to do. Recall that memory vividly.
Step 3: As you remember that experience of “knowing,” scan your body:
- Do you feel something in your head—like clarity or a quiet voice?
- Do you feel something in your heart—like warmth or opening?
- Do you feel something in your gut—like solid certainty or rightness?
- Or is it a sense that seems to come from your whole being?
Step 4: Place your hand wherever you felt that sense of knowing most strongly. This is your inner compass. Remember this location—this is where you’ll return to check in with your authentic voice.
Write down what you noticed. This awareness is your foundation.
PRACTICE 3: The Three-Breath Reset
When the chattering voice takes over, this simple practice creates space for your authentic voice to emerge.
Breath 1—Acknowledge: “I notice I’m feeling anxious/worried/stressed.” (Name what you feel without judgment)
Breath 2—Release: As you exhale, imagine releasing the need to figure everything out right now. Just for this breath, let it go.
Breath 3—Open: As you breathe in, imagine drawing from that deep well inside you. Ask, “What wants to be known right now?” Then simply listen.
You can use this anywhere—in line at the grocery store, before a difficult conversation, in the middle of a stressful workday.
The Real Problem (And The Solution)
Here’s the crucial insight: The chattering voice isn’t the problem. The problem is believing it’s your only voice. The problem is giving it all your attention and trusting it as absolute truth.
Think of it this way: Imagine you’re the captain of a ship. The chattering voice is like an overly anxious crew member who keeps running up to the bridge shouting, “Rocks ahead! Storm coming! We’re lost!”
A good captain doesn’t throw the anxious crew member overboard. But a good captain also doesn’t let the anxious crew member steer the ship.
Instead, the captain might say, “Thank you for your concern. I’ve noted it. Now, let me check my instruments and the actual conditions.”
Your authentic voice is like those reliable instruments and your trained captain’s intuition—it can see the bigger picture, sense what’s really true, and guide you steadily.
PRACTICE 4: The Loving Kindness Response
When your chattering voice starts up, try this approach:
Step 1: Notice the chattering voice without fighting it. You might even say internally, “Ah, there’s that worried voice again.”
Step 2: Place your hand on your heart. Breathe gently.
Step 3: Speak to the chattering voice as you would to a frightened child: “Thank you for trying to protect me. I hear your concern. I’ve got this.” You’re not agreeing with it, but you’re not at war with it either.
Step 4: Now check in with your inner compass (the place you identified in Practice 2). Ask your authentic voice: “What do I really need to know? What’s actually true here?”
Step 5: Notice the shift. Your body softens. Your breathing deepens. Space opens up. From this place, you can respond to life with wisdom rather than react from worry.
Why This Changes Everything
When you learn to recognize and access your authentic voice, several profound shifts happen:
Stress and anxiety decrease: You’re no longer hijacked by every worried thought. You have an anchor.
You become more stable: Like a tree with deep roots, you can bend in the wind without breaking.
You feel more empowered: You’re not at the mercy of your fears. You have access to genuine wisdom.
You discover inner peace: Not because everything is perfect, but because you have a trustworthy guide within.
Joy becomes accessible: When you’re not constantly bracing against imagined disasters, you can actually experience the goodness in your life.
PRACTICE 5: The Daily Check-In
Build this simple practice into your daily routine:
Morning (2 minutes):
- Before checking your phone, place your hand on your heart
- Take three deep breaths
- Ask: “What wants to emerge through me today?”
- Listen for the quiet response—a word, feeling, or sense
- Set an intention to return to this place throughout the day
Throughout the day (30 seconds):
- Whenever you notice stress rising, use the Three-Breath Reset (Practice 3)
- Return to your inner compass
- Listen for what’s true beneath the noise
Evening (2 minutes):
- Place your hand on your heart again
- Ask: “What did I learn today about my authentic voice?”
- Notice any moments when you heard it clearly
- Appreciate yourself for this practice
Where Your Wisdom Lives
Your authentic voice—your inner wisdom—isn’t somewhere you have to travel to reach. It’s not a skill you have to develop from scratch. It’s already here, already now, already you.
It lives:
- In the space between your thoughts
- In the quiet beneath your worries
- In the center of your heart
- In the knowing of your body
- In the deepest part of your being
It’s not “out there” or “up there”—it’s right here, in this present moment, in the core of who you are.
Some people experience it as a subtle vibration that runs through their whole being. Some hear it as a quiet inner voice. Some feel it as a warm presence in their heart. Some know it as a deep certainty in their gut. However it comes to you is exactly right.
PRACTICE 6: Going Deeper
When you want to access your deepest wisdom:
Step 1: Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Close your eyes and take several slow, deep breaths.
Step 3: Bring your awareness to your inner compass—that place where you feel your authentic voice most clearly.
Step 4: Imagine you’re dropping down into that place, like descending into a deep, clear pool of water. With each breath, go a little deeper.
Step 5: When you think you’ve gone as deep as you can go, imagine going even deeper. There are layers beneath layers, and your imagination is the vehicle that takes you there.
Step 6: From this deep place, ask any question you’re holding. Then simply rest in the silence and notice what emerges—a word, an image, a feeling, a knowing, or perhaps just peace.
Step 7: When you’re ready, slowly return, bringing that wisdom with you.
The more you visit this deep place, the more accessible it becomes. Eventually, you can drop into it in seconds, even in the middle of a busy day.
The Relationship That Changes Everything
Here’s the beautiful truth: You don’t have to banish your chattering voice to access inner peace. You don’t have to deny it, fight it, or fix it.
You simply have to remember that it’s not the only voice. It’s not the captain. It’s not your truth.
Think of your chattering voice as a small child tugging at your sleeve, worried about shadows. You don’t ignore the child or tell them they’re bad for being scared. You acknowledge them with kindness: “I hear you. Thank you for sharing.” Then you, as the wise adult, turn on the light and show them what’s really there.
Your authentic voice is that wise adult—steady, patient, and clear. It’s the part of you that knows things will be okay even when they’re hard. It’s the part that can see the bigger picture. It’s the part connected to something deeper than your immediate circumstances.
Living From Your Authentic Voice
As you practice accessing your authentic voice, you’ll notice something remarkable: Life doesn’t necessarily become easier, but you become more capable of meeting it.
Challenges still arise. The chattering voice still speaks. But now you have a choice. You can recognize the chatter for what it is—nervous commentary—and consult your inner wisdom instead.
You’ll find yourself saying things like:
- “That’s an anxious thought, but what do I actually know to be true?”
- “My worried mind is spinning, but what does my deeper wisdom say?”
- “I notice fear, but what does peace know?”
This isn’t about positive thinking or denying reality. It’s about distinguishing between the worried commentary in your head and the actual wisdom available when you check in with your deeper self.
Your Invitation
Right now, in this very moment, your authentic voice is available to you.
It’s not waiting for you to be more spiritual, more healed, or more worthy. It’s here now because it is you—the deepest, truest you.
All you need to do is:
- Pause
- Breathe
- Place your hand on your heart or your inner compass
- Listen beneath the noise
- Trust what you find there
Your inner wisdom has been with you all along, like the sun behind the clouds. The clouds of worry and chatter may pass across it, but they never diminish its light.
You don’t need to believe this. You just need to try it. The experience itself will teach you what words cannot fully convey.
Your authentic voice is subtle, yes. But subtle doesn’t mean weak. Water is soft, yet it shapes stone. Your authentic voice—quiet though it may be—is the most powerful force in your life, because it is aligned with your deepest truth.
Welcome home to yourself.
Quick Reference: Your Daily Practices
When anxiety rises: Three-Breath Reset (Practice 3)
When you need guidance: Check your inner compass (Practice 2) and ask your authentic voice
When the chatter is loud: Loving Kindness Response (Practice 4)
Every day: Morning and Evening Check-In (Practice 5)
For deep wisdom: Going Deeper meditation (Practice 6)
The more you practice, the more natural it becomes. Eventually, accessing your authentic voice will be as simple as taking a breath—an instant return to your center, available anytime, anywhere.
Your wisdom is waiting. It’s always been waiting. And it’s so glad you’re finally listening.
Joel Bruce Wallach