Silencing Your Inner Critic

If you've struggled with obesity for an extended period of time or have tried and "failed" to lose weight in the past, there's a good chance that you're living with an inner critic. This inner critic is the voice in your head that minimizes your successes and repeatedly reminds you of your failures. The problem with listening to our inner critic is that it can prevent us from achieving our goals and make it impossible for us to enjoy what we do accomplish.

How to Silence The Inner Critic

For many of us, the inner critic is a voice we've been listening to for years. Silencing that ever-present voice can take time and practice, but it can be done.

  • Recognize your inner critic's voice: The first step to dealing with your inner critic is to recognize it. Pay attention to the negative thoughts and feelings you have about yourself. Ask yourself if these thoughts are factual or an exaggeration of your behaviors. Are these thoughts based on truth or feelings? The voice of your inner critic is amplifying how you feel.
  • Practice playing the role of your own best friend: Once you've learned to recognize the negative things you're saying to and about yourself, ask how you would respond if the same things were said about a loved one. Would you point out, for example, that your loved one wouldn't necessarily fail to achieve his goal just because he had a setback? Would you remind your friend that she was funny and beautiful and a joy to be around no matter how much she weighed? Take the time to mentally respond to your inner critic in the same way.
  • Start a new conversation: One of the best ways to silence your inner critic is to change the conversation. Actively give yourself positive messages. Remind yourself what you like about yourself, and do it often.

With time and practice, it is possible to change the way you see and talk to yourself.

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Dr. Frank Felts and his staff are dedicated to providing bariatric surgery to the people of Dallas and the entire North Texas area including McKinney, Frisco, Plano, Allen, Addison, Richardson, Garland, Mesquite and the entire mid-cities.