Wait, I hear my inner critic speaking, it’s telling me…..

“I am going to fail this assignment.”

“No one will ever like me.”

“I will never be successful.”

“I can never get this right.”

Well, who hasn’t dealt with those kind of thoughts? We are all critical of ourselves in different forms, yet the inner critic is nothing but rather our fears that we keep projecting on our thoughts.

Usually, our conversations within ourselves play a defining factor in overcoming life’s obstacle; on the contrary it can also paralyze us from taking any actions or reaching a goal. Thoughts of such kind can be self-destructive and lead to self-fulfilling prophecies in our lives.

However, this inner voice can be subdued only if one takes charge and proactively addresses the negative thoughts.

1. Understand your Thoughts

Experts on brain have estimated that human beings think between 60,000 – 80,000 thoughts a day. When our own inner monologue is on auto pilot, then our response will come accordingly.

We need to consciously stop and think. Once you are more aware of your thoughts, you can filter what’s to be kept and what’s to be discarded.

A good exercise is to put on paper what you’re thinking and address each concern. You might be surprised at how much of our thoughts are overblown, abstract and biased.

2. Let the Worse Happen

Something embarrassing happened to you lately? Sit and think about it. Why?

Let me explain.

Your worst case scenario is more to do with your self-talk than with actual reality. Once the supposedly “bad” or “embarrassing” thing happened; it no longer has any control over you; it’s done and gone.

You no longer need to be a victim of it. So ask yourself: Did it end everything in your live? I am 100% sure it didn’t. You survived it so let it go and move on. You are still breathing, right? These questions will combine your self-perception and the reality of the situation together, making it null.

3. Stop the Brooding Game

You screwed up and then your inner critic tells you to brood over it. This scenario is something we are all familiar with. But, brooding over it won’t solve your problem.

A practical way to deal with such scenarios is to acknowledge your mistake in its due proportion. Think of ways to remedy it. Once you have accepted your mistake, you have the power to move on.

Another way is to change your physical state at once. Go for a run, do the dishes or engage into something that’s completely the opposite from your train of thoughts. Your inner critic will be more subdued now.

4. Find Balance

Human beings are complex creatures, with different strengths and weaknesses. The inner critic likes to feed on your vulnerabilities as it’s an easy prey.

In order to find your balance, accept and address your flaws properly; create a course of action to gradually correct it.

No one gets everything right on their first attempt. When you see yourself progressing, you are more likely to maintain your balance and keep the inner critic at bay.

5. Ask Yourself

When you inner critic starts to act up, grab a piece of paper and answer the following questions.

1. Will I consciously allow this thought to ruin my day?
2. Has it ever happened to me? If it does happen, how bad can it get?
3. Did it happen to someone I know, what can I learn from them?
4. Should I let it stop me from trying something new?
5. Can it change the course of my life?

6. Use it as an Empowering Tool

Every time the inner critic knocks around, and whispers a thought, see what it has to say. There will be times when you just need to kick the negative thought at the inception of it.

Other times your thoughts might seem dis-empowering, but if used the right way, can be empowering.

For example, your inner critic says you will fail your assignment. Ask yourself: why? You may have not done your research properly, started your assignment late, or didn’t proofread it etc.

By asking yourself reasons as to why I might fail, you may come across something that you actually missed & has a significant bearing on your assignment.

Now that it’s clear what needs to be done, you no longer need to be pushed around by your negative thought.

Have any tips or suggestion to silence the inner critic? Feel free to tell us.