7 Tips for Dealing With Your Inner Critic
Were you ever about to do something – and then suddenly, that voice inside your
head starts talking?
“Why did you do that? You’re a bad person. No one wants to talk to you. You will never
achieve anything in life.”
That negative voice inside your head that judges criticizes, or demeans you is your
inner critic. Your inner critic plays a critical role in how you see yourself and your
self-esteem.
When you don’t know how to deal with your inner critic, you can feel ashamed,
worthless, or low on self-esteem.
Your inner critic might undermine your every accomplishment. Or it might show up
as you enter a room of people you’ve never met before. That harsh inner critic can
lead to self-doubt or lack of confidence.
When you let your inner critic control too many of your actions, it could hold you
back from things like growth, connection, and your full potential.
Even though the way we think influences how we behave, those thoughts we have
are not always true! If someone feels insecure and believes no one wants to talk to
them, how charismatic do you think they will be in social settings?
Follow these strategies in dealing with your inner critic to take control of your life:
- Acknowledge and understand. When negative thoughts come up, acknowledge
your thoughts. Try to understand the source of where your thoughts are coming from.
How old do I feel right now?
Why do I feel this way?
What are some patterns I recognize?
Where do these thoughts come from?
How do these thoughts affect my behavior? - What advice would you give a friend? If a friend came to you in the same
situation as you feel, what advice would you give to them? Many times, we are
harder on ourselves than we are on others. - Separate facts from feelings. Your brain might be hardwired to think that no
one wants to talk to you or that you’re a bad person. But is that actually a fact?
Practice sorting through facts and your feelings.
What is another, more positive way you could look at the situation? - Practice self-acceptance and self-compassion. Replace negative or critical
thoughts with accepting and compassionate ones. Have a selection of
empowering, compassionate beliefs that you can tell yourself instead of
succumbing to negative ones. - Write down positive thoughts. When your inner critic comes out, what is it
saying? How can you challenge your inner critic?
Write down times in your life when people have said positive things about
you. Focus on your strengths and what you are good at. - Distract yourself when you start replaying mistakes in your head. Have you
ever made a mistake and replayed those moments over and over again? That
doesn’t resolve the issue. If you find you’re ruminating instead of actively
problem-solving, distract yourself from those thoughts.
Take a walk.
Read a book.
Listen to a podcast.
Play a game.
Cuddle your pet. - Remind yourself that everyone has an inner critic. Having an inner critic is a
human function. It comes from the parts of our brains that evolved to protect
ourselves. If you find yourself in a loop of critical thoughts, remind yourself that
every human experiences self-doubt at one point or another.
Your inner critic does not have to control your life! Taking these steps to silence
your inner critic and nurturing a more empowering inner dialogue can help you grow
and expand your horizons.
There’s a difference between that harmful voice telling you that you are not good
enough and wanting to improve yourself. Use the tips above in dealing with your inner
critic so you can reach your full potential.
