How to Turn Off your Inner Critic

By: Sarah Rollins

We all have an inner critic. It's part of the human condition. This inner critic can go beyond superficial mind chatter and start creating severe issues in your life. Your inner critic creates self-doubt, low self-worth, and self-esteem. You may be wondering how to turn off your inner critic and quiet down this negative voice in your head that causes you so much anxiety?

What is an Inner Critic?

An inner critic is a negative voice that you have in your head. It's like a little person who tells you what you should do or what you're doing wrong. You might have an inner critic who says things like: "You suck at this!" or "You're not good enough!"

The funny thing about an inner critic is that it won't let you forget about the things it says. You might tell yourself repeatedly that you're good at something, but the inner critic refuses to let up and keeps convincing you that you are not good enough. The more often it talks to you, the stronger its grip becomes!

You can use some of these tips below to help fight back against your inner critic so that it doesn't have as much power over your life.

To learn more ways to turn off your inner critic, schedule a free 15-minute consultation at Embodied Wellness, PLLC

Ways to Turn Off your Inner Critic:

Sometimes you might feel like your inner critic is never going to stop. That's normal, and it's usually because you haven't gotten to know your inner critic. You can learn how to turn off your inner critic with these simple steps:

Identify the Negative Thoughts:

Start by identifying the negative thought that comes up most often, especially when you're feeling down or anxious. For example, if your inner critic tends to say, "I can't do this," then the first step would be to notice when you're thinking that thought.

Write Down the Good Things:

Keep a journal where you can write down all the things that make you feel good about yourself, like what a fantastic friend or partner you are for always being there for people who need help with their troubles. You can use this as ammo when the critic tries to put you down! Y

Visualize Good Things:

If you have trouble letting go of negative thoughts, try visualizing something else instead of focusing on what might go wrong. For example, if you're writing an essay about something you're excited about (like traveling), think about how amazing it would be to go somewhere new and exciting, rather than wasting time worrying about whether or not your grammar is good enough or if people will like what you wrote.

Identify What your Critic Needs:

Identify what your inner critic needs to be happy and fulfilled. For example, if a baby is crying, this is always a reason. Maybe it’s hungry, tired or in pain. By asking your inner critic what it needs, it may calm down.

Challenge your Thoughts out Loud:

You can turn off your inner critic by identifying what you're saying out loud or thinking in your head. For example, if you're thinking, "I'm not good enough," you can say aloud, "I am good enough." Or if you're saying something negative about yourself, like "I never get things done on time," then say something positive like "It is possible for me to get things done on time." When challenging thoughts, ensure that they are realistic and believable.

Pause:

You can turn down the volume on your inner critic by giving yourself time to process before responding or acting. For example, if you're having trouble getting started on an important project, give yourself 10 minutes to think about it before responding or acting. Or maybe an uncomfortable situation at work makes you feel anxious and agitated, so give yourself 20 minutes to process before responding or acting—you'll be surprised how much better things will go.

Ask Yourself Questions:

Ask yourself questions like: "Why do I have this voice in my head?" or "What would happen if I ignored this voice?" These questions help us get to the bottom of why we have these negative voices in our brains in the first place, and then they offer us an opportunity to consider how we might adjust our behavior so that those voices don't show up as frequently."

Increase Awareness:

You have to increase awareness of when you're having an inner conversation, which can be tricky because we don't always realize when our inner critic is talking! It's important to notice these moments so we can take action and change our behavior. Once we start paying attention to what's happening inside our heads, we can start turning off the inner critic by making different choices about what thoughts and feelings we choose to focus on.

The most important way to deal with this negativity is to respect and help your inner critic. What we resist, persists. Be forgiving and be honest about yourself about your abilities. Acknowledge all the good things you can think about yourself, however small they are. Be helpful and supportive to your inner critic instead of being judgmental and hostile towards it, as this will strengthen it. This requires a bit of time, but if you can accept who you are and appreciate your qualities, then your inner critic will lose its strength.

To learn more ways to turn off your inner critic, schedule a free 15-minute consultation at Embodied Wellness, PLLC by calling 248-607-0887 or visit www.embodiedwellnesstherapy.com