Everyone has an inner critic. We have all had moments where that critic was booming loud, telling us we were not smart enough, good enough, pretty enough, or capable enough. When faced with challenging situations, that critic can flare up, filling us with doubt and fear. It is easy to give into that critic, believing the voice and not believing in ourselves. When our inner critic is at its loudest, we can find ourselves crumbling away and not able to find our confidence. This can lead us to not doing activities we may want to do, meeting new people, or pursuing goals. When suffering from addiction or mental health issues, our inner critic can be even more ruthless. We may think we do not deserve to get help, that we are not capable of change, or that there is no way we could learn to fight our inner demons. Learning to tackle our inner critic is a key component of recovery. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Handling the Critic
Be conscious of the critic: remembering that your inner critic is not always right is important. You are going to face challenging situations, tough people, and uncomfortable moments in life. Learning to breathe and remember how capable you really are is so important. Your inner critic only has the power you give it. When you learn to quiet that voice, you will realize how confident you can be.
Write down the words: when you are struggling the most, write it down. Note what you are feeling, the situation, and when it started. You may start to see patterns. Learning how to handle your emotions and acknowledge your feelings can be tough. Writing down the details can help.
Give yourself compliments: when you start to struggle with your inner critic, give yourself a compliment. Remind yourself how great you are, how smart you are, or how capable you are. Those little compliments can boost your self-esteem and drown out your inner critic.
Learning to handle your inner critic takes time. When handling tough situations or struggles, it is easy to doubt our abilities. Everyone has days when they think they are not good enough. Working with a professional can help; it can help you strengthen the skills needed to feel confident and capable of completing anything you set your mind to. The Guest House has many different therapeutic options to help you through your recovery journey. Call us today to learn more at (855) 483-7800.