Meet Your Inner Critic: 5 Steps to Shorten Your Bounce-Back Time

Inner CriticTransformation

Feb 17

Written By Heather Hill

Different situation. Same voice. That’s your clue. Once you see that nagging line again..

“It’s too late to change.”

“Screw it. It doesn’t even matter.”

“I’ll start over Monday.”

“What’s the point? It’s not working.”

The list goes on, right?

Resilience begins when you recognize the pattern of your inner critic — and stop letting it run your day, or your life.

1. Notice the Pattern

When does the same negative thought show up?
New scenario. Same emotional tone. If you have a hard time pin pointing your inner negative thinking, just sit down to meditate. Get still and quiet. Your mind will likely detonate with all kinds of reasons why you cannot.

This is a simple way to figure out a few key inner voices that are holding you back.

2. Identify the Motto

What is the repeating message?
“I’m too tired to care.”
“This always happens.”
“I’ll never be able to…”

Every critic has a tagline, or a motto of sorts. You find it in the glib or mean things you say to yourself with inner self talk.

3. Meet the Critic

Name the voice that delivers that motto.

Critical Carla

Angry Alice
Unsatisfied Elsa
Overwhelmed Olly
Petrified Patty

Now… you’ve met her.

4. Question It

Why this thought again?
Is this thought true?
Why am I thinking this again?
Where did you come from?
Who says/said that in my life?

5. Choose Your Response

Sometimes you make a change, or a decision, and chaos immediately ensues. All of a suddem it is impossible to do what you intended to do. Your brain is freaking out and wanting to protect you, so it cascades you with reasons to not follow through. But when you know this process your brain goes through, you can respond differently.

“Hello critical Carla. Thanks for that input. I’m headed to the gym.”

“Petrified Patty - I see you. Let’s do this.”

“Angry Alice, you are here again! Let’s diffuse and take a deep breath.”

That’s where resilience is built. This practice might sound absolutely crazy, but when put into action it allows you to take a deep breath and replace old thinking with new thinking.