Three ways to catch your Inner Critic

Your Inner Critic is the voice in your head that tells you you’re not good enough, you can’t do it, and you’re going to fail. It’s present in all of us, though it may say different things and show up at different times. It’s pervasive, negative, and irrational. And yet, it has a huge impact on how we live our lives. It’s sometimes called a limiting belief or a saboteur and can lead to imposter syndrome or self-doubt.

The first step to overcoming the Inner Critic is to be aware of it and recognise that it is one voice and not the truth. But even if we have that awareness, it can be very hard to notice it and stop it in the moment, before it takes hold and starts to influence our behaviours, words, and actions. 

Here are three ways to catch your Inner Critic voice before it can take hold of you.

Practice being more present in the moment

I’m currently participating in the Positive Intelligence PQ Coach training programme, partly because a lot of my coaching clients struggle with an Inner Critic, and partly because I think it will be helpful for myself! The programme revolves around catching the “Saboteurs” (the Inner Critic) and turning to the “Sage” (or Inner Mentor). The foundation of catching the Saboteur is to train your brain to have control of your thoughts, by being aware of what is going on in the present. Although I've only been at it for a couple of weeks, I'm already noticing a shift. I may not always catch that negative voice immediately, but I'm definitely becoming quicker at spotting it!

Focus on feeling not thinking.

Sometimes our Inner Critic is not particularly clear or loud but still has a big impact on us. The emotions that it causes, are far stronger. Next time you feel a negative emotion, try and work out what the emotion is, but also what’s causing it. Behind the cause will be a subtle voice telling you something negative - about yourself, another person, or your circumstances. Let’s say a colleague gives you some negative feedback. Your initial feelings may be anger, dejection or failure - the inner critic thought that caused it could be “I am no good at my job” or “This person won’t want to work with me again”.

Forewarned is forearmed

The principle behind this tactic is that if you know about a problem or situation in advance, you will be able to deal with it when you need to. Once you have got to understand your Inner Critic, then you know the situations where it is most likely to show up. It may be when dealing with hierarchy and speaking in front of senior figures at work, it may be around your appearance, or when you need to have a difficult conversation. Once you know this, you can “turn on” your brain’s ability to be aware and spot the signs in the run-up to and during the situation, and this will make it easier for you to catch it in the act. 

Once you’ve caught the negative voice, you can turn it into something more positive and productive, that enables you to move forward and succeed. So try one of these suggestions above and let me know how you get on in the comments!

And if you want additional support in dealing with your Inner Critic, then get in touch to see how a coaching programme with me could help you overcome your limiting beliefs. I’d love to hear from you.