6 Ways To Silencing Your Inner Critic and Be Nicer to Yourself

We all have that inner critic that speaks up when we are struggling. Sometimes that voice can boost our confidence and other times, it can make us feel low on self-esteem and confidence.

This voice often lets us know when we’ve gained some extra pounds. It’s the same voice that makes us feel that we are underprepared for a presentation at work. The same voice is the one that we hear pointing out our flaws.

Now, if this voice was someone we knew, we’d be cutting ties with them, right? So why not silence the voice when it comes from inside our heads?

We all have two voices. One that motivates us, encourages us to do more while the other makes us lose our confidence when we least expect it.

Sometimes our inner critic can push us to do our best, reach our potential but at times, the same inner critic can hold us back from reaching our dreams. Is your inner critic holding you back? It’s time to silence your negative self-talk.

Below are some effective ways to silence your inner critic and boost your self-confidence!

How To Silencing Your Inner Critic

1. Listen To The Voice

This might seem counterproductive but the best way to silence your inner critic is to listen to it and being aware of it. And by being aware, I mean listening to the voice as objectively as you can.

More often than not, our negative self-talk stems from our insecurities. When the voice grows loud, take a pause and listen to it. Once you listen to the negative thoughts, you’ll realize how baseless they are. If it’s something you wouldn’t say to a loved one, why say it to yourself?

Another thing you need to keep in mind here is to watch your tone. Yes, words matter. But so do the tone they are said in. Speaking to yourself in a kind and warm-filled voice will make you feel safe and turn your negative thoughts into positive ones.

2. Get To Work

Many of our negative thoughts are baseless and judgmental when they don’t need to be. If there are aspects of your life that you’d like to change, get up and get to work on changing them. Don’t allow yourself to talk back.

Criticizing yourself is not okay and neither is it healthy. Being mean to yourself will also not make you productive. To silence your inner critic, set small and smart goals throughout the day and take small steps to complete those goals. Be realistic with your goals.

Go slow and gradually move towards accomplishing bigger goals. With time, your negative thoughts will be replaced with positive ones, effectively silencing your inner critic.

3. Stop Comparing Yourself To Others

In these competitive times, it is easy to lose our sense of self and start comparing ourselves with others. You, as a single individual, are capable, are whole, and complete – all without comparison.

Comparison, on a bigger scale, only leads us to believe that we are somehow incapable of doing things that others do. Please remember, every individual is different and each person has a unique skill set. Comparing your skills with others is a disservice to yourself.

4. Be Kind To Yourself

As I said, why would you say something negative to yourself when you wouldn’t say something negative to someone you love. Being kind to yourself, even when you don’t feel like it, is the best way to silence your inner critic.

Being kind to yourself, especially when faced with failures is a sign of self-acceptance and self-love. The power, the encouragement our kind voice can give to us is more effective than someone else’s.

5. Reframe Your Thoughts

Reframing your thoughts allows you to take those negative, baseless criticisms, and turn them into something positive, healthy, and eventually productive. Positive affirmations, meditation can help to turn those inner critic’s voices from condescending to encouraging.

Instead of saying: “I’m a mess and not deserving” say “It’s okay. I’ve been too stressed lately. All I need is some me-time and I’ll be in top shape once again”

When we are too overwhelmed we lose our ability to think clearly too. Take a break, ask for help when you need it, and relax. If you need a break, then take it. Let your mind relax and recharge.

6. Celebrate Your Achievements

Even if those achievements are minor, celebrate them! Your inner critic will always try to find opportunities to mock you, don’t let it. Even if you made your bed in the morning, celebrate it. When you focus on the achievements instead of the failures, your inner critic will stay silent.

Remember, You Are Awesome!

When my inner critic wakes up and starts yelling all the negative statements, I try to drown the voice by using positive affirmations and statements. For every negative statement, there is a positive one too, remember that!

Just giving yourself a little pep talk when your inner critic rears its ugly head can help a LOT.

You are strong, you are capable, you are confident, and you are awesome!

More often than not, one of the best ways to silence your inner critic is to remind yourself that you are as awesome and strong as you are. Be honest with yourself and with your capabilities. It’s good that you have an inner critic but letting it rule your daily life is not healthy.

We all can do with some criticism here and there but letting criticism rule our life – that’s something we can do without.

If you’re having trouble silencing your inner critic, you can connect with licensed and trained counselors here or you can write to us at info@calmsage.com. You can also comment your thoughts below in the comments section.

Remember, you are amazing just the way you are!

Keep smiling and stay positive, always!