Take a walk with your inner critic

What is the role of the inner critic in your life? Is it an enemy or our best friend in disguise?

We return to the subject of inner criticism because here reside many of those beliefs that keep us from being more. Having a voice in our mind pointing out our recklessness or inadequacies, non-stop, is exhausting and counter-productive. So, how can we take some space from our inner critic?
Let’s see: have you ever wondered why our brain needs this inner voice that always highlights our shortcomings and mistakes? According to evolutionary psychologists, this is a very friendly mechanism designed to protect us from quick and unjustified decisions. This part of ourselves watches out for us and makes sure that, at any point, we are fully aware of our actions and their consequences. Unfortunately, throughout the years, as life became so much more complicated but the mind hasn’t yet caught up, this self-caring mechanism has become a tyrant in the mind. Things are not black and white anymore: they are mostly grey. Where certainly and clear thinking applied, now moral decisions and value systems need to be involved. But the voice isn’t ready for our fragile psychology: the inner critic keeps commenting as always, but now we are too stressed, too sensitive, too involved to listen.

So, the first step is to understand that ourself can never be the enemy; deep inside, everything is designed for our benefit and protection. As discussed in a previous blog post, personifying our inner critic will create some of the distance we need for everything to make more sense. The next time you realize that your inner voice talks like you are an imposter just say “Ok, it’s him/her again, being annoying”. This small sentence has so much power: we acknowledge that the voice is not necessary right and that you have, also, the power and the right to judge and dismiss its statements. This dialogue strengthens your self-confidence and it gradually allows you to grow into better decisions and less stress.

Don’t forget to read our blog post about the trick to tame your inner voice and to share your hacks on our Facebook group!