Silencing the Inner Critic

Silencing the inner critic

by Elize Lake

My inner critic is my worst enemy ­- we’re talking some serious Tom and Jerry rivalry, except probably worse! It's always chirping in my ear with its self-­doubt and criticism, and I'm sometimes overwhelmed by my negativity towards myself. This has inspired my interest in human psychology (mainly as a hobby), because I know I'm not the only one with a mean, critical inner voice which takes tough love to an all­-new villainous level.

I have often wondered about the origins of my critic and just why it says the things it does. Was I just born with the tendency to be self­-critical, and destined to have this one on­ one battle my entire life? Is it derived from the environment I grew up in? Could it be something someone said to me years ago that my conscious mind forgot but my subconscious clings to anxiously? The theories are potentially endless. However, I do believe there is science behind the inner critic, though I don't think it's entirely identical for everyone.

Where does the inner critic come from?

I believe inner critics stem from a cocktail of societal pressures, expectations (internal and external) and our degree of consciousness. These three things all too readily influence our mental health, and when you've got such an elaborate cocktail of things going on, your inner critic finds volume in your overwhelmed (and fast becoming exhausted) mind.

For me, my inner critic stems from my childhood. Not having the best upbringing made me aware from a very young age that life wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. Being aware of poverty, corruption and substance abuse from early childhood gave me an elevated consciousness which far surpassed what children should know at that age. The saying about wrapping your child in bubble wrap was definitely not a problem for me.

As I've grown older and my environment has changed, my consciousness has expanded tremendously. I've gone through the usual motions of being a teenager and eventually grown into a person who, if I'm being honest with myself (having hushed my inner critic), I am proud to be.

Veganism is what has allowed me to feel this way. Going vegan has established in my mind what a compassionate individual I am, and this is one of my greatest accomplishments. Whilst being vegan fills me with joy, the information I've learned about animal exploitation in industry has led me to question the rest of the world. My consciousness has grown further after educating myself about the dairy and meat industries, and like when I was a child, my consciousness has been elevated because I am more aware of the negative things in life (animal violence and exploitation, and just how unneccesary they are). All of this awareness combined and we're talking... *brain explosion*.

Now comes the important part: ­WHAT CAN WE DO? Seeing as it isn't possible for us to murder our inner critics without taking ourselves with them and depriving the world of the beautiful and amazing contributions we could make, we have to learn to manage our emotions and our inner voices. Our inner critic is a part of us, but it doesn't have to define us.

There is so much potential for goodness within each individual, and nobody's subconscious should prevent them from achieving greatness. Overcoming the inner critic is hard, but it isn't impossible. By committing to establishing a different mindset and undergoing a shift in consciousness, we can all have positive thoughts about ourselves.

Listening

One of the most important steps towards overcoming negativity within ourselves is first and foremost to listen. That simple, eh? It is! Don't listen to analyse ­that will only add fuel to the fire. Listen to everything your inner critic has to say and then just acknowledge it. Don't burden yourself with the 'why' of what's being said; that will only increase pressure on yourself and give your subconscious more thoughts to explore. Simply listen, and once your subconscious has finished, just accept what's been said. Practise knowing that your subconscious knows you better than anyone else ever will, and that what's being said is just your insecurities being manifested; ­it doesn't make them true.

Through listening openly and receptively, the words become less those of an enemy: ­they're just words. Critical thoughts are often a vicious cycle, and when we try to repress or ignore the voice, it often leads to more and more negative thoughts and can lead us to a spiral into a pit of self-­doubt. Well, no more! You have control of your mind, and you can manage any storm that goes on within it. Showing yourself the same compassion you show others, whether human or animal, will aid you tremendously in overcoming the inner critic. If the voice is harsh, it's important to increase your self ­love and your self-appreciation. I know what a beautiful person you are, and if you struggle to see that, know that other people do.

Affirmations

Once you've become accustomed to listening to your inner critic, it's important to shift your mindset. In an unpressurised environment, listen to your subconscious and see if there are any recurring thoughts. Once you've

established the biggest culprits, you can start developing a different mindset towards them using affirmations. Affirmations need to be written as though they are already true, e.g. "I am confident", "I am good enough", "I am worthy". It's so empowering to say these things, even if it is initally hard to believe them. By creating the healthy habit of using affirmations, in time you will notice a change in your opinion of yourself.

Finding a purpose

It's also important to apply yourself to something you believe has purpose. This will help you recognise the impact you can make, allowing you to physically see the worth you have. Far too frequently, I have seen within myself how a mind lacking in direction can become an idle mind, and an idle mind is far more susceptible to critical self­-talk than a focused mind. When I feel I am contributing to something worthy, my mind has a direction to go in and there is less free space for negativity to creep in.

Overcoming our own thoughts is one of the hardest things to do - ­it takes commitment, discipline and a willingness to change. It is so easy to fall prey to societal pressures and expectations, comparing ourselves to others, but this ultimately leads to a life of unhappiness. It is difficult to love yourself when you're not accustomed to it. It is hard to feel confident if you've spent a lot of time believing you're not worthy of the confidence that's already within you. Change will take time. I hope implementing the aforementioned habits will aid in you finding true happiness within yourself and lead you to a lifetime of self-love.

Conclusion

In closing, we have been taught that mental health struggles are synynomous with weakness. So little is said about mental health - ­ranging from anxiety to depression and beyond - ­that we don't fully understand how connected everything is. Pressure, expectations and consciousness are key to mental health, which is tied to our inner monologues. It is so important that we continue to normalise internal struggles.

It can be hard having the knowledge we have, about our pasts, the world we live in, corruption, unfairness and pain, and it is very understandable that so many of us struggle. This is why it's so important that we give ourselves the love we deserve. There is enough negativity in this world as it is, and it is so important that we contribute to it as little as possible. Even if in the grand scheme of things overcoming the inner critic seems small, almost unrelated, it's not. By establishing a positive mindset within ourselves, we are raising our vibration. Everything in our immediate surroundings will then subconsciously match this vibration by default, and we will be responsible for so much positivity. "To change the world we must first change ourselves". SM

About the writer

Elize Lake is a 22­-year­-old aspiring entrepreneur with a passion for health, writing, veganism and dogs. She aims for all her endeavours to positively impact as many industries and people as they can. After struggling with mental health problems and a vocal inner critic, it is her goal to create change, acceptance and understanding of these things for others.