2 SUPER Effective Ways To Silence Your Inner Critic
Control your inner critic before it controls you ...
We've all heard it. There is always a critic out there trying to squash your goals and dreams and instill doubt in you without any qualms. The truth is that you can easily ignore the petty criticism of external critics — family, friends, enemies, frenemies — by letting their opinions flow in one ear and out the other.
But what if the criticism is coming from inside your OWN head?
Your inner critic knows you the best. It's the mind ninja that infiltrates your goals and dreams with doubt. It punches through your walls of strength and confidence and forces you to harbor fear and anxiety toward achieving your life goals. Your inner critic lowers your self-esteem.
It makes you think, I want to have success in my career, but I don't have the chops or the willpower to do it. I want to talk to that cute guy, but he won't be attracted to me. He's out of my league. I'm not intelligent/talented/good-looking/strong/good enough.
You may think that your inner critic's opinion of you are the end all and be all, but it's NOT!
How can you silence this inner ghost? Host and author Charles J. Orlando, author, therapist and counselor Dr. John Gray, bioenergetic analyst and psychotherapist Leah Benson, life coach and speaker Cara Cordoni and life coach and psychotherapist Atul Kumar Mehra say that it's IMPOSSIBLE to completely silence your inner critic. Why? Because it's innate — it has been there since you were a child.
But there are ways to grapple with your inner critic BEFORE it takes control of your adult life.
1. Confront Your Inner Critic To Defend Your Imperfections
While you may have imperfections, they are areas for inner change and growth. Your inner critic tells you that you can't achieve a goal because that imperfection is holding you back. Defend your imperfections by using them as your motivation to achieve your goals and improve and grow in life. Cara Cordoni offers a greatly helpful tip to confront your critic "by engaging with it, by being curious" and playing with it.
She suggests, "Why don't you send the critic on vacation to Paris for two weeks so that we can focus on you getting at this space — for you to be and do what you want." Bon voyage, inner critic! Time to set sail on my goals and dreams!
2. Let Go Of The Bad Energy
After years of containing your responses to your external critics' past criticism, the withholding of those emotional responses has fueled your internal critic and maintained your self-doubt and lack of confidence. Let all of that bad energy leave your mind and body to create a space to achieve your goals and improve your life.
Dr. John Gray clearly sums this up for you: "You identify the voices. You identify your reaction to the voices, and the voice becomes a loving, reassuring parent giving you the support you deserve." Goodbye, bad energy! Hello, SUCCESS!
Is your inner critic mind controlling your life? Scroll up to the video above to hear some more of the expert's helpful insight and tips on how to take back your life for further success and improvement. And remember, as Charles J. Orlando says, "You are worthy exactly as you are — with all your imperfections!"