First, everyone has an inner critic. And, your inner critic can guide you in the wrong direction with your rational negative thoughts, if you let it. Sometimes, it might feel like you can’t turn your negative inner voice off, and these thoughts a limit your full potential. Similarly, your inner critic can sabotage you. So, here are a few tips to help you think positively about yourself and tackling your inner critic.
The inner critic wants to sabotage your success
By criticizing yourself, you actually decrease your motivation. And, you can even cause anxious thoughts to develop. In this article, you’ll learn positive ways that are proven to help you take back your personal power and overcome your inner critic. So, next time you get a rush of anxiety, you’ll have techniques to use! This was complied by Katie Ziskind, licensed marriage and family therapist at Wisdom Within Counseling. Read more about Katie, here.
Tip #1: Learn to look at yourself in “parts”
First, think of yourself as multiple parts or sub personalities. So, one part of you might be critical, but another part of you can see a more positive future. One part of you might be organized, focused, and self-disciplined. Whereas, another part of you might be a free spirit, disorganized, and likes to live on the edge. You have an inner child and a mature adult part. Then, look at your inner critic as not part of your full self, but only as a part of you. Your inner critic likes to fabricate the worst scenario. Thinking the worst doesn’t help you achieve your best.
Having a negative inner critic can lead to school issues and academic problems. In school support in high school and college can help. But, having a big inner critic can hold you back from creating meaningful relationships. First, a relationship with yourself leads to respectful relationships with others. With a big inner critic, it can be hard to create the life you’ve wanted. Don’t wait any longer struggling on your own. Wisdom Within Counseling is a group of holistic, creative therapists and love helping teach positive self-talk.
What does your inner critic say? Negative tape recorder on repeat
Your inner critic will tell you that you will never succeed. And, your inner critic will say that you’re not good enough and that you won’t get the job that you have applied for. Sadly, your inner critic and negative anxiety will you that you never become anything. If you listen to these thoughts, it can really take a toll on your self-esteem and your mental health. Instead of shaming your inner critic, look at nurturing yourself. Your inner critic will try to undermine you and sabotage you due to fear of failure and public humiliation. I think your inner critic for trying to protect you.
Tip #2: Make yourself feel stronger
Then, talk positively about yourself. For instance, even though I have a difficult task coming up and there is a possibility of failure, if I get 80%, that will be good enough to pass. Even if I don’t get this job, I will learn great things from the interview process and I know the right job is coming to me in my future. It’s really important to reframe your thoughts to be more positive about yourself and to remind yourself that you are good enough.
Choose kind words, empathy, and your personal power
The strong inner critic will tend to sabotage your success, but it will only sabotage you if you allow it to do so. Don’t get stuck on your emotions or over analyze yourself, because this is part of the negative cycle of your inner critic. Instead remind yourself of all of your unique talents and redirect your focus instead of on self out to personal power. You have to believe in yourself and be your own best friend. But, this may be hard to do alone without professional therapeutic help. The help of a holistic therapist at Wisdom Within Counseling in Niantic can help you. You’ll learn positive coping skills to handle all of your feelings and develop self-compassion. In conclusion, self compassion emerges and is developed on a personal level every time you nurture and are kind to yourself. However, this takes professional therapeutic guidance!
Tip #3: Focus on all that you have already accomplished
Working with your inner critic can bring up a lot of things from the past such as regrets, defensiveness, and self forgiveness. In yoga, you might feel an emotional release in final resting post. In fact, yoga therapy can help you heal from trauma. If you’ve been through a really traumatic experience such as sexual abuse or gaslighting, you may have a giant, massive inner critic. Similarly, your inner critic may be directly related to things your abusers have said to you. Likewise, after enduring verbal abuse, you may feel guilt and shame when you think about your inner critic. Katie Ziskind LMFT, RYT500 owner of Wisdom Within in Niantic specifically works with women who have overcome sexual trauma with yoga therapy. In conclusion, she helps the victims of sexual trauma in Niantic build self-confidence through yoga therapy to live in the present moment.
How does yoga therapy & holistic therapy in Niantic work?
Also, Katie Ziskind uses yoga therapy in combination with talk counseling. Similarly, she helps women move the trauma blueprint out of their bodies. Read more about yoga therapy for PTSD, here. Simply talk therapy alone does not work for healing trauma. Because there is a body blueprint associated with sexual trauma, yoga therapy supports growth. Finally, your traumatic experience lives daily in your body. And, this is what perpetuates your inner critic, constant critical questioning of yourself, and self-doubt. Yoga therapy helps you stretch, relax, and achieve your goals.
Afraid of your inner critic and your past memories?
Then, being fearful of your inner critic getting worse or bigger can hold you back from being your best self and reaching your true potential. At Wisdom Within Counseling, we teach you how to be open minded. And, we teach you how to love yourself daily. Focusing on your strengths rather than insecurities can be hard alone. So, we are here to help you at Wisdom Within Counseling in Niantic. Further, gentle yoga poses, meditation, guided breathing techniques, and soothing relaxation practices can help women who are survivors of sexual trauma fully heal. Talk therapy alone can often be re-victimizing. And, it can leave a survivor of sexual trauma stuck in memories of the past, regrets, and very sad about memories that have just been shared.
Tip #4: Think about your past in reflection
First, think about when your inner critic was born. Ask yourself, “Was it a parent that yelled at me when I cried as a child?” Or, “Was it a teacher in school that told me I was stupid?” Further, looking back at your inner child can help you step away from self sabotage. Instead, therapy will help you develop positive skills. And, these positive coping skills can help you handle anxiety, emtional conflict, depression, and your inner critic. After therapy, you will feel nurturing towards yourself. Likewise, you can feel positive about yourself and powerful in the person you are today.
Tip #5: Remember, when someone shames you, it is their past pain, not yours.
Remember that people who criticize you in the past have a shadow side. Moreover, they were probably stressed out at the time. And, they took their negativity out on you. So, let go of what they’ve said. Now, know that that was part of their life, not your shadow side. Internal family systems is a therapeutic model that talks about parts. If you ever start to feel not good enough, remember that you can transcend these feelings. Because they’re just a part of you, just a part, and will pass. Finally, tap into compassionately reflecting. Therapy in Niantic at Wisdom Within Counseling can help you get connected with a spiritual higher power. In the meantime, go to a yoga class and feel good about yourself because you are amazing just as you are!
Finally, learn skills to overcome your inner critic and reach your goals!
Tackling your inner critic is a lifelong practice. And, these skills can be developed through holistic counseling with one of the professional mental health therapists at Wisdom Within Counseling in Niantic.
