We all are our worst critics by default. We spend the most amount of time with ourselves more than anyone ever could, so, naturally, we become privy to both our faults and attractive qualities. However, even with a host of great traits, we tend to harp on our failures.
As someone who exhibited Type A tendencies for most of her life, I understand the criticism that can crop up in your head that tells you negative things about your self-worth and potential. A 2020 study revealed that we have upwards 6,000 thoughts per day and of those thoughts, how many would you guess are negative in your personal life?
I’m an advocate of the mantra, “make my mind my friend.” After all, you have to live there for the rest of your life, so why not take the time to program your negative self-talk into positive self-talk?
If you’re struggling with where to start on your journey to transitioning from your worst critic to your biggest cheerleader, then keep reading!
Write Down Affirmations And Repeat Them Daily
This isn’t anything new. Taking the time to affirm yourself every day goes a long way whether you notice the changes immediately or not. When you repeatedly expose yourself to self-affirming statements such as I am beautiful, I am worthy of love, I am capable, you begin to reprogram your subconscious which is home to all those negative beliefs you have of yourself.
Affirming yourself every day will not be easy, especially if you have a history of quite literally bashing who you are, but consistency will take you far when it comes to learning to recognize and praise the great qualities that you already have over your negative ones.
Celebrate Yourself
Whether they’re big or small wins, they are worth celebrating. Oftentimes we wait on others to acknowledge our accomplishments so that we receive external praise and validation, but as Miley Cyrus taught us: we can buy our own flowers.
Taking the action to celebrate your wins sends the message to yourself that you are worthy to be appreciated and celebrated. The more you do so, the more you attract more of that positive energy into your life.
Indulge in Self-Care
Similar to the act of celebrating yourself, you should take the time to care for yourself. That means looking out for your mental health, physical health, and overall well being. Even though a simple bubble bath topped with a face mask can be the answer to a long, stressful day, it shouldn’t be the only means you take to care for yourself.
Getting a good night’s sleep is also self-care. Setting boundaries with those around you is also self-care. Taking 15 minutes to do a yoga practice is also self-care.
Again, when you show up for yourself in these ways, you are priming yourself to expect this kind of treatment not only from yourself but from others.
To be your worst critic, you would have to believe that such practices are futile and are only deserved when you do good. But that’s not the case, you are whole and you are worthy to be cared for at all times.
Take Yourself Out on Solo Dates
I find that it’s hard to be my worst critic when I actually like the person that I am. You can’t like you if you don’t know you.
Solo dates can be extremely fun if you do so with intention. Take the time to plan these dates, cater them to your interests, and follow through on them, giving them your undivided attention and energy.
Learning to enjoy your own company is invaluable, and it only enhances your perception of yourself as you get to know yourself.
Shower Yourself With Grace
Recently I had a massive wave of dread when I took stock of where I am and where I want to be. When this happened, I immediately degraded myself and tried to pinpoint the exact decisions that landed me nowhere near where I wanted to be goal-wise.
That is until I got a gentle reminder from one of my favorite podcasts, “The Psychology of Your 20s,” when one episode brought up the fact that my predicament was normal, that I was not alone, and that I deserved to give myself grace. This prompted me to acknowledge my wins (check out tip #2) and reframe my situation.
With grace comes the acknowledgement that you are doing your best, and that’s all you can really ask of yourself. If you’re doing your best, you should never shame yourself for failures. Failures are inevitable, so you gotta learn how to encourage yourself during these moments instead of kicking a horse when it’s down.
Transforming into your biggest fan doesn’t happen overnight for most people, but with time and a little patience, your worst critic won’t hold much power over you any more.
If you enjoyed this blog post, be sure to let me know in the comment section! Which tip are you planning to implement today?
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