Tired of hearing that critical voice in your head? Tell it to take a hike. Literally.
You know the one, that judging, critical voice that tells you that you didn't do something well enough, that you're not ready to take on the next level, and that mimics other people's criticisms? Yeah, that one.
The first step is to recognize when the Inner Critic is activated. You'll recognize the black and white, binary thinking, the all-or-nothing disaster predictions.
Your Inner Critic can also be a wolf in sheep's clothing, sounding like the voice of reason, keeping you in your comfort zone while it blocks your progress.
We'll never be 100% free of this internal dialog, but we can manage it in the moment so that we can get on with the task at hand. The antidote to this Inner Critic isn't perfection or always feeling confident.
The goal is to have a new relationship with self-doubt, not create an absence of it, so that you can play big and take courageous next steps.
Apply some rational thinking to this Inner Critic so you can find solutions instead of focusing on the problems.
There are several ways to influence the Inner Critic and mitigate the effects of that cynical dialog. The first step is to notice and label it as it happens.
Put some distance between you and the negative loop by creating a persona for the Inner Critic, complete with a full wardrobe and a name. This makes it easier to address him/her/them, influence their effect on you, and even remove them from your situation entirely.
When you begin to realize that the critical voice isn't necessarily you, you're able to repeatedly shift your relationship to it in the moment and to send it packing.
This allows you to have a more balanced viewpoint and a bit more peace. It’s useful to be able to separate yourself and your thoughts from the running dialog of the Inner Critic, and creating a persona for it is one way to do it.
With practice — the Inner Critic always returns — you will be able to quickly realize when the judgement volume is too high, and use various steps to turn it down.
Curious about how you can tame that inner perfectionist voice? Reach out for a complimentary consultation info@susanordway.com
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