Unbrainwash yourself

We all know the type, critics who have an opinion on everything - regardless of whether they’ve been asked or even have the necessary expertise. But what if these critics are part of our inner world? Saboteurs who want to stop us from making decisions, believing in our goals or shaping our lives according to our dreams and what makes us happy?  

The inner critic is clever; they know how to whisper in our ear so that they sound credible and logical, because the last thing they want is a discussion or to be questioned.

But who invited this bully in the first place – or perhaps they were once a helpful friend to you, but now it’s time for them to slowly fade into the background?

How do you silence your inner critic? By starting a conversation with them.

• Find out what they want.
  ‍Ask yourself when the saboteur first reached out. In which situations did they become louder and what did they want from you? Maybe they mean well and are trying to protect you from getting hurt. But this eventually undermines your opportunities and self-determination, often preventing you from growing and moving forward.

• Give the inner critic a name.
  ‍It feels like fear, anger or sadness. But if you name the inner critic after an emotion, it has nowhere to go from there. Fear remains fear, sadness remains sadness. However, if you give your inner voice a name, you also give them the chance to change.

• Inform the voice when you catch them in the act.
  ‍As soon as the inner critic grows loud again, have a friendly conversation with them and tell them what you really need right now instead of what they keep trying to give you. Addressing your inner critic will take away their power and put you back in the driver’s seat.

• Work on your strenghts.
  ‍Take time to discover yourself, your values and your strengths. As you grow, your inner critic will become smaller and at some point, they might even turn into a friend whose volume you can turn up and down as needed.