Keeping the inner critic's voice in check

To keep the inner critic's voice in check, it's essential to recognize when it's operating on high power. Here are five signs that your inner critic might be overactive:

1. Encourages Catastrophic Thinking: The inner critic often makes you envision the worst possible outcomes.
2. Induces Guilt: It points out past decisions where you failed, making you feel guilty.
3. Uses Extreme Generalizations: It makes broad, sweeping statements that are rarely true.
4. Draws a Hard Line Between Success and Failure: It sees everything in black and white, with no middle ground.
5. Predicts the Future with Finality: It insists that the future is set in stone, often with a negative outlook.

To manage your inner critic, acknowledge these signs and counter them with more balanced and compassionate self-talk. When you feel that the inner critic is operating in high power, remember not to trust everything your mind says. Talk to yourself instead.