Go easy on yourself. It’s never too late to squash your inner critic

One of the influencers I follow on Instagram shared a post flaunting her Bloody Mary making skills. No big, right? Everyone and their mother are hosting virtual happy hour these days. But this person made a cocktail just to make a cocktail. “You go, girl!” I thought. Then I thought again. I would never do that.

Why wouldn’t I? Because my inner critic says I don’t deserve it.

Those words are a hard pill to swallow. Who died and made my inner critic queen?

Point blank, an inner critic is that nagging internal monologue. Research indicates that most people speak at a rate of 150 to 200 words per minute, but our internal dialogue chatters more like 1300 words per minute. No wonder we get stuck on the negative. Too much information entering our little brains.

The good news is that we can defeat that inner voice and make that Bloody Mary.

So, here are five ways to overcome your inner critic. Spoiler alert: It’s easier than you think.

Rewrite your story

• Check-in with yourself and identify what your inner voice is saying. By becoming aware, you have a better chance of transforming that unhealthy thought pattern.

• Get curious and ask yourself: What’s really going on here?

• Switch gears and look back at what you’ve done in the past to successfully squash your inner voice.

• Make it real by creating a vivid image of your future self.

• Embrace the why not and just do it.