02/18/2023
How to tame an inner critic by telling yourself the truth...
We all have an inner critic ("you’re not that smart," "you’ll never get that job") – and you can tame yours. Here’s a short version of one good method.
An inner critic typically:
• has been around a long time,
• uses a nasty tone totally unlike a friend’s voice,
• keeps us from taking risks, and
• takes up more space in our thinking than we realize.
Yet it’s a part of us, however unwelcome. So the goal is not to kill it off but to get it to go lie down and be quiet while we lead our life based on its opposite: our inner wisdom.
Here’s what to do.
Step 1: Define what your inner critic most often says to you. Once you have a few nasty quotes written down, decide what’s the single most unhelpful thing it says.
Step 2: Decide what % true that unhelpful statement is. This can be hard but is essential. My clients are usually surprised at how false their inner critic’s statements are.
Step 3: Choose a true, positive, short statement to tell yourself instead. Repeat, repeat, repeat. It takes lots of repetition to build a new pathway in our brain, but it’s possible. Remind yourself of this inner wisdom over and over; in time you’ll find it easier and easier to believe and to act upon.
Go for it and good luck!
