Are you self-critical?

Most of us criticise ourselves from time to time! But, if you’re constantly thinking negatively about yourself and thinking negative thoughts, this can be extremely damaging.

Language has a powerful influence on our behaviour. So, if your internal dialogue is constantly speaking negatively this will reflect in your beliefs, attitudes, and thoughts.

These thoughts can influence your mood, behaviour, and ultimately your health.

Self-criticism are the statements we sometimes find ourselves using, such as “I can’t do this!” “I’ll probably fail!” or “I’m no good at…”

The only thing this kind of talk does is reinforce a distorted perception of ourselves, making us feel miserable.

So, improving the way you communicate with yourself is really important.

Today’s challenge is to tune into and stop negative thinking

When you find yourself using negative self-talk take a deep breath, say ‘STOP‘ and begin focusing on your strengths instead.

Rather than saying “I look so fat in this,” try “I’m taking the necessary steps to overcome this, and I’m heading in the right direction.”

“I’ll never be as good as them,” try “I can work hard to beat my own personal best.”

So, next time you find yourself saying, “I can’t…” instead try “How can I do this?” or “How is this possible?”

This change in attitude will help you to become more open to new possibilities. As a result you will be better equipped to reach your goals, rather than putting up barriers.

Ask yourself:

• What do I think about most of the time?
• What am I constantly telling myself?
• How do I really feel about myself?

Sometimes we don’t even realise what our internal voice has been saying. But, once you begin to notice this negativity in your attitude, you can challenge it, begin to put it right, and move forward.

Are you in tune with your internal voice? What is it saying?