What to Do When Your Inner Critic Won’t Shut Up
"A 2020 study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin suggests that showing yourself compassion might be the most adaptive way to cope with setbacks.
Self-compassion, according to Chwyl, can be broken down into three components:
- Noticing when we are in pain (without either detaching from or getting caught up in our feelings)
- Realizing that experiencing distress or making mistakes is part of being human (as opposed to feeling isolated by these experiences)
- Offering ourselves kindness (as opposed to being harshly self-critical)
“Our research echoes what studies have found time and time again—self-compassion not only feels better than harsh self-criticism, but it works better too, helping us rise to life’s inevitable challenges,” says Chwyl.
By the same token, when we are compassionate with ourselves, we give ourselves the time and space to react rationally to setbacks and react in more adaptive ways. It is because of this that Chwyl labels self-compassion as a “motivational supercharger” that can help us:
- Fight procrastination
- Make amends following transgressions
- And, work harder following setbacks
If you struggle to be compassionate with yourself, Chwyl suggests a two-step process to get you back on track:
- Take stock of your beliefs about self-compassion. Get curious about your relationship with self-compassion, and notice whatever shows up for you, without judgment.
- Start practicing. Self-compassion is like a muscle—the more we practice it, the stronger it gets."
Read the full article available at Psychology Today!
Reflection:
How self-compassionate are you? What do you think we can do to improve our self-compassion?
*I didn't used to be but I later realized that I needed to be. I'm working on it*
#SelfCare #Kindness #Compassion
@comfortableNight4463
Hello!
I definitely need to work on being more self-compassionate.
To improve my self-compassion, I need to offer myself more kindness!
Thanks for sharing! <3 🌿🌺✨
@innateJoy9602 Exactly! Self-compassion should always be practiced and with time, you will be able to be kind to yourself more freely without nay effort. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
@comfortableNight4463 Oh I can relate to you, that little voice in our heads will never stop until we force it. I think a huge step is to admit our flows and realize that everything that's projected in the media is not always true. It can make us set unrealistic goals and get disappointed. We need to make sure that our dreams are based on our own choices and not society's. Then take baby steps until we see our goals getting closer! Thanks for the amazing post!
@calmDew1576 Well said! If we aren't influenced by 'society's standards', we would be able to be much more kind to ourselves. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
