ACTIVITY 1: RECOGNIZING YOUR INNER CRITIC
The purpose of this activity is to become more aware of your inner critic, and to help you start to recognize that those thoughts are not you. You don't need to be fixed and you are not the problem. The problem is the voice.
Consider the following questions below and write down, say, or think your response (I recommend journaling, but do whatever works best for YOU).
The purpose of this activity is to become more aware of your inner critic, and to help you start to recognize that those thoughts are not you. You don't need to be fixed and you are not the problem. The problem is the voice.
Consider the following questions below and write down, say, or think your response (I recommend journaling, but do whatever works best for YOU).
- What types of things do you typically judge or criticize yourself for? (career, appearance, relationships, parenting, etc.) I definitely judge my ability to be a good mom to my children after a long, strenuous day at work.
- What language do you use with yourself when you notice a flaw or mistake? You suck at life, you're ruining your children's lives.
- Close your eyes and get in touch with the voice behind that negative language. What does the owner of that negative voice look like to you?--what name would you give it?
PRACTICE:
As you go through the rest of this week, notice when that negative voice comes up. Without changing anything else, work to become more aware when the critic is present.Research shows when you label your experience or name your emotion it steadies your mind and helps you remain calm.
And the more familiar you become with that inner critic, the faster you will be able to spot it and eventually stop it in its tracks.
As you go through the rest of this week, notice when that negative voice comes up. Without changing anything else, work to become more aware when the critic is present.Research shows when you label your experience or name your emotion it steadies your mind and helps you remain calm.
And the more familiar you become with that inner critic, the faster you will be able to spot it and eventually stop it in its tracks.
Today, I choose the name I would give my critical inner voice. The activity today walks through steps to recognize and name your critical voice and why it's important. 🙏
I’ve decided to name my critic Zelda, the scariest character in the movie Pet Semetary. She’s a fear I’ve never been able to conquer, like she was to Rachel, her sister who had to feed her when she was a young girl. It was too overwhelming, bordering on child abuse, for a young girl to have to deal with her deformed and maleficent being that transformed from a family member to a monster. Rachel is traumatized by the death of her sister, and this trauma carried through to her adult life.
On day 3, I also thought of another, more personal name. The name of a colleague that has had it in for me. This might be more appropriate, in a different way. We shall see where this discovery takes me.
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