Be kind to yourself to let go of your inner critic
Practising self-compassion allows you to let go of your inner critic. Being kind and understanding of yourself can be beneficial to your mental and emotional health.
It’s common for us all to be self-critical at times, especially when we are feeling stressed or overwhelmed. It can hold us back and prevent us from expressing who we really are and what we want to do because we fear failure or rejection.
If we constantly judge ourselves or are seeking to be perfect at everything we do our inner critic will creep in. Comparing ourselves to others can intensify self-doubt and serves no purpose.
Finding our true voice and our purpose isn’t always easy because it means we have to confront our own vulnerability. But this is where we can start to build our inner strength and resilience. With this we will be able to confidently manage the challenges we will encounter both at work and in our life in general. We will gain increased optimism and experience more positive emotions like happiness and connectedness. We will also have a greater ability to cope with negative emotions when they arise.
Be kind to yourself – How to let go of your inner critic
There is nothing complicated about this simple way of managing your inner critic. I’ve suggested a simple tip to help you. It is something you can easily do to help change your negative mindset to a positive one. So why not have a go and experience the benefits for yourself.
Imagine how you would respond to a close friend who is struggling with self-criticism. Chances are you would show more compassion to a friend or loved one than to yourself. So when you notice your inner critic creeping in consciously practice self-compassion. Be as kind to yourself as you would to a friend or loved one. Even a small kindness to yourself can make all the difference and even more so if you practice it on a daily basis and make it a habit.
Examples of a small kindness to yourself
- Think of one thing you are grateful for today
- Give yourself a compliment
- Take a short walk to break up your day
- Treat yourself to something, a coffee with a friend, buy a book you have always wanted but never bought, listen to your favourite music
- Commit to regular exercise, 10 – 15 minute sessions that are easy to fit in to your day, regardless of how busy you are
- Think of what you really want and take one step towards achieving that dream
- Forgive a mistake you may have made. Everyone makes mistakes now and again
- Laugh
- Just take time out and do nothing. Just be
- Have a warm relaxing soak in the bath
- Commit to finishing work on time at least one day a week