🌿 Mindful Monday: When Your Inner Critic Gets Loud

We all have an inner critic.

Sometimes it quietly whispers, “I should have done better.”
Other times, especially when we're stressed or overwhelmed, it can become very loud:

“I always mess things up.”
“Why can't I get it together?”
“I'm not good enough.”

The challenge isn't necessarily to stop these thoughts from showing up. It's learning not to automatically believe everything our inner critic tells us.

🌸 Try the Mindful Pause

The next time you notice a critical thought, try these four steps:

STOP — Pause and take a breath.

NOTICE — What exactly am I saying to myself?

QUESTION — Is this a fact, or is this my inner critic speaking?
Is there another way I could look at this?

CHOOSE — What would be a more realistic and helpful response?

You don't have to replace a negative thought with forced positivity. Sometimes a more balanced thought is enough:

“I'm struggling today, but that doesn't mean I'm failing.”

“I made a mistake, but I can learn from it.”

“I'm feeling overwhelmed right now. I don't have to figure everything out at once.”

And then ask yourself:

“What do I actually need right now?”

Maybe it's a break. Maybe it's support, a boundary, a conversation, or simply taking one small step forward.

Mindfulness isn't about having perfectly positive thoughts.

Sometimes it's simply noticing:

“There's that critical voice again. I don't have to follow it.”

Then gently choosing what comes next. 💙

This Monday's invitation:

Pause. Notice. Question. Choose.

And if you'd like to explore your own inner critic more deeply, use the Mindful Monday Companion Worksheet to work through a thought and practice responding to yourself differently.

FREE WORKSHEET: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h-cmx2iVnGebOMMm_yzxUKmUyB7zSQ-D/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=105405856565902070418&rtpof=true&sd=true

— Lisa Deighton Psychotherapy
Therapy can be more than talk