SQUASH that Inner Critic

WOOHOO!  It is FRIDAY!  Who is ready for the weekend?  I know that I am!

We have all known people who are really critical, right?  The person who loves to point out when you gained a few pounds.  The person who points out your flaws and reminds us when we are not doing as well as others.  I don’t know about you but these are people that I tend to shy away from, so why do I let myself do that same thing.  It is the background “noise” that chips away at our confidence that leads to fear and doubt.

I have been blessed a part of a Celebration Circle with a Fierce Cheerleader, Eryka Peskin.  And now the author of an e-book called “50+ Ways to Jumpstart Your Abundance“.  The greatest gift she has given me is the ability to STOMP on my Inner Critic.  Here are some tips to CRUSH that inner critic:

1. Listen to your negative thoughts

I know, crazy right?  But the only way to silence that inner critic is to listen.  Better yet, CELEBRATE (or acknowledge) it knowing that you are worthy of so much more.  You can’t CRUSH the negative thoughts unless you acknowledge them.  Those negative thoughts usually stem from insecurities that have no basis in your life.  They are often even silly.  If you wouldn’t say it to a friend, why say it to yourself?

2. Get productive

Some negative thoughts are unwarranted and overly judgmental while others lean toward real issues that need to be addressed.  If it is a part of your life that needs improving – do something about it.  Don’t feed the fire of negative talk – take steps (even baby ones) to make the change.  Set goals and track your progress. Gradually improving yourself will replace negative thoughts with positive ones and ultimately CRUSH your inner critic.

3. Re-think how you see other people

Negative thoughts bring more negative thoughts and they can be toxic to your soul.  Ask yourself, am I critical and judgmental of others?  Be honest, we’ve all been there! If you are critical of others, you will be critical of yourself. Feeding into negativity will only come around to bite you in the butt.

4. Ask yourself this question

Are you not sure if you’re being too critical of yourself? I love this suggestion by Life coach Tony Teegarden.  Ask yourself this one question:  Would you say this to your five year old self? Would you tell your five-year-old self that they’re not smart enough, that they’re overweight or untalented? Of course not! You’d tell them to believe in themselves and that they can do anything they set their mind to. So, if you wouldn’t dare be so negative to your younger self, why do it now?

5. Remind yourself of how awesome you are

This is the fun part of our Celebration Circle.  I love that Eryka has us put a positive spin on everything in our lives that we may have once thought as negative. The truth is that sometimes the only way to silence your inner critic is to drown it out with positive statements.  Try giving yourself a little pep talk when you’re really getting critical.   I keep a list of my strengths handy so when the negative inner critic rears his head, I can read the list and remind myself what a strong, confident and capable woman I am.  It’s not about bragging, it’s about being honest with yourself about what you do well.

How do you silence your inner critic? Hope you have a ThirtyOne-derful day!