Taming Your Inner Critic: 7 Steps to Silencing the Negativity By Amy Morin

The private conversations you have with yourself can be either a powerful stepping stone or a major obstacle to reaching your goals.  If your inner monologue repeats things like, “I’m going to embarrass myself,” or “No one is going to talk to me,” as you walk you into a cocktail party, you probably won’t appear relaxed and approachable. Or, if you’re thinking, “I’m never going to get this job,” in the middle of an interview, you’ll struggle to present yourself in a confident manner. Often, those negative predictions can quickly turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Your thoughts greatly influence how you feel and behave which can cause negative self-talk to become downright self-destructive. Telling yourself that you’ll never be successful or that you aren’t as good as other people, will reduce your feelings of self-worth and deter you from facing your fears.

If you tend to be overly critical of yourself, you’re not alone. Most people experience self-doubt and harsh self-reflections. Take steps to proactively address your negative thoughts and develop a more productive dialog with yourself. Here are seven ways to tame your inner critic:

1. Develop an awareness of your thoughts.
2. Stop ruminating.
3. Ask yourself what advice you’d give to a friend.
4. Examine the evidence.
5. Replace overly critical thoughts with more accurate statements.
6. Consider how bad it would be if your thoughts were true.
7. Balance acceptance with self-improvement.

The Power of Your Inner Dialogue

Your inner dialogue will either fuel your success or prevent you from reaching your full potential. While your inner critic can help you recognize areas where you want to improve, overly harsh negative self-talk will cause your performance to suffer and reduce the chances that you’ll reach your goals. Practice taming your inner critic and silencing the negativity so you can coach yourself in a productive and helpful manner. Forbes Gesund Leben (November 2014)