Silencing The Inner Criticism: Definition Of Self-Esteem

Silencing the inner critic

Eyorusalem Sahlom

Wilmington University

Self criticism in this context is a voice in one’s conscience that ‘says’ that something is wrong. Little self-criticism is not bad because it can be a reality check that propels one to be a better person. However, there is excessive and unhealthy self-criticism which causes depression and anxiety thus affecting one’s self esteem. This unnecessary self-criticism tends to be negative because it leads us to focus the so-called failures instead of what should be done to remove guilt in one’s conscience.

Engel, (2006) affirms that at times, it is a good idea to ignore self criticism when it’s clear that they don’t have your best interests at heart or when they are

clearly being prejudiced against one side and are not putting facts into consideration. Establishing a good relationship with one’s inner critic can lead to several benefits because better choices are made and one possesses harmony within themselves.
There are certain ways in which one can control the inner critic. I want to begin practicing these strategies. First, one shouldn’t attempt to silence their inner critic. To completely silence it means that all internal judgments are ignored. This can lead to poor decision making (Greene, 2008). I plan to assess my inner critics first before ignoring them.
I can think of inner critic as a second being inside. If that personality is obnoxious, rude, unfriendly, insensitive, cruel, prejudiced against you, out of control, subjective in their assessments, unbearable, aggressive, destructive or a nuisance, then they should be expelled from the mind and replaced with a personality more worthy of sharing life with. For instance, if the inner critic is always having negative perceptions, then one should strive to see the positive angle. I want to get away with all ill feelings about myself and be confident that I’m capable of achieving the best. I will be against negativity at all costs.
Reinventing our inner critic can get done by visualizing the inner critic who currently exists within us.

I will concentrate on giving a personality and features. If one acts tough towards me, I will give them an uncaring and horrible face and imagine that such face counters them as they delivers there negative speeches. I will introduce a new critic who is approachable, warm, objective, fair, solution-oriented, considerate, firm, assertive, courageous, and all the positive characteristics possible.

I can also learn how to slowly build up my self-esteem by being confident and forming a picture of the best I want to achieve. I will ignore my limitations and focus on my strengths so as to succeed in my activities.

I chose this topic because it is very practical in my life. I have experienced times when I felt out of action and less important. It caused me to perform poorly because of anxiety. Moreover, it once caused me to go into a depression. I was very glad to learn more about how to manage my inner critic for a productive life. It is also true that many people are battling with the same issue. It is good to be informed so as to know how to handle the inner critic (David, 2010).

Putnoi, (2012) points out that many people may not be aware of the inner critic and its implications. It simply affects every part of our lives and dictates who we are. I wanted to bring this up so as to start a debate which might assist many other people struggling with the same

issues.

References.
Engel, B. (2006). Healing your emotional self: a powerful program to help you raise your self-esteem, quiet your inner critic, and overcome your shame. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley.

Greene, M. (2008). Master your inner critic release your inner wisdom: practical steps to achieving confidence, success and contentment. Chichester: Summersdale.

Putnoi, D. (2012). The drawing mind: silence your inner critic and release your creative spirit: an interactive sketchbook. Boston

Susan David (2010) Silencing Inner critic (peer reviewed article). Retrieved from http://blogs.hbr.org/2010/01/how-to-quiet-your-inner-critic/