24 Aug Have fun challenging your inner critic!
We all have a little voice inside of us that spouts negativity and criticises most things we do.
For some, this voice is louder than for others.
But for all of us, it eats away at our happiness!
I've written often about how we can master or challenge those negative thoughts but today I'm very happy to share with you this great article suggesting some innovative and creative ways we can cope with this form of pessimism.
So generate more happiness by playing with that nasty guy inside your head…
by Margarita Tartakovsy via Psych Central
For many of us the inner critic is loud and relentless. It hurls insults. It stops us from voicing our concerns and exploring our dreams. Why would we explore or pursue them? We’re not good enough or smart enough or X enough, anyway. We don’t have the necessary talents or skills… so your inner critic says (or maybe even shrieks).
While we can’t eliminate the inner critic, we can quiet its cruel comments. We can get curious and listen to its concerns. (Because our inner critics are really just trying to protect us — though in a very unhelpful, harsh way.) We can even get playful and not think of it in such serious doom and gloom ways. I know this isn’t easy. But we can practice seeing our inner critic through a lighthearted lens, at least sometimes.
We also can remember that our inner critic isn’t the end all, be all voice on who and how we are.
Here are some ways to approach or interact with your inner critic. Some are super silly and might feel weird. Others focus on exploring our inner critic and its concerns and acting anyway.
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Have a conversation with your inner critic, where you both try to understand each other. Write it down. (Of course, this might feel weird at first. And during…and maybe after…but try it anyway. It might be very revealing. It also might help to get those thoughts down on paper.) Instead of letting this turn into a battle, assume you both have good intentions. Your inner critic is just going about it in an ineffective way. That’s why you’re going to talk things through. Ask your inner critic questions like: What are you trying to protect me from? What do you want me to know? Tell your inner critic what you’re thinking and feeling. Simply start with: I feel _______ after hearing your comments. Tell them how and why their words aren’t helpful. Have a back-and-forth dialogue.
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Make your inner critic into a silly-looking monster. Draw this monster. Any time your inner critic starts churning out critical comments, picture this silly monster, who’s filled with hot air, and really just afraid themselves. A monster who’s just as vulnerable as anyone else underneath their big, hairy-scary exterior…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE