Your inner critic isn’t your enemy

Our inner critics are actually pretty amazing. They are there to protect us and most of the time they are misguided, or are basing their critiques on past experiences or voices that don’t apply to where we are now. Knowing that information and having compassion for our inner critics can help shift our self talk. So can letting our inner critic know we see them and that we are willing to befriend them.

The next time your inner critic comes out, see if you can tell how old they are or who it is. See if you can acknowledge it and have a conversation. See if you can say, “Thank you for protecting me amazing inner critic! I appreciate all you’ve done for me. This time I’m going to try something different. I’d like you to step back this time. You don’t have go away and you can come back - and I want to try something new.” Most of the time your inner critic simply wants to be seen and appreciated. If you let it know that you are not banishing it, but simply asking it to step aside for this task, it allows it (and you) to relax because it knows it’s not going to be banished. It may seem weird or goofy at first, but if you try it, see if anything shifts, even just a little bit. If something shifts, try it again another time.

Reach out if you’d like more tips and tools on working with your inner critic. I have packages and individual sessions available.