Summary
- Find the cause
- Track your thoughts
- Observe the mistakes of others
- Be ready for any outcome
- Talk to a friend about it
- Seek professional assistance
- Seek external motivation
- Test your limits
- Watch what you eat
- Start your fitness journey
Self-criticism, once started, is like a cancer that eats up all your self-esteem until you start to lose your mind. If not controlled and solved, it can spark a chain of unprecedented mental health issues like;
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Fear
- Depression
- More failure
Some of the issues above are also the causes of self-criticism. This means that by becoming overly critical of yourself, you spark a melodramatic chain of events that won’t end anytime soon.
In the article below, I suggest and explain the proven ways to effectively eliminate self-criticism in teachers:
1. Find the cause
As far as problem solving is concerned, finding out what the problem is has always been the first step.
- What other people say
- Your previous mistakes
- Low self-esteem
- A mental problem
2. Track your thoughts
It’s scientifically proven that a great percentage of the daily thoughts we think are the same. This means the things you thought yesterday are almost the very ones you’re thinking today.
Once the chain of self-criticism starts, it almost becomes like second nature, and you probably can’t break it if you don’t consciously watch your thoughts. Here’s what to look for.
- Your decision making process
- How many times you judge yourself.
- How you can break the cycle
- The process and implications of rewiring your brain
By tracking your thought process, you become the master of your mind, meaning you control all thoughts and aren’t a slave to your emotions.
3. Observe the mistakes of others
Now, this is not the egotistic self-glorification trash I’m talking about. If you always feel like you’re the one in wrong all the time, then it’s best for you to see other people and compare yourself with them. Here’s what to observe;
- See if they beat themselves up like you do
- Observe how they get up whenever they fall
- See if they lose their confidence like you do
It’s a tendency of self-critical people to see others as though they are the perfect ones, but realizing that they are only human and they go through almost the same set of struggles as you do, would be enlightening.
4. Be ready for any outcome
As a human being, it’s okay to be scared about making certain moves and decisions because the outcome seems undesirable. However, it helps a lot to do whatever you can and be ready for any outcome, and this is what it will help you do;
- Take risks
- Push beyond your limits
- Eliminate all mental barriers
- Learn from mistakes and avoid them right
- Face tough situations and come out just fine
This mentality has worked a lot for entrepreneurs, because of the high number of decisions they have to make, and the high likelihood of making mistakes along the way.
5. Talk to a friend about it
I understand the friends we get these days usually aren’t worthy of put trust, and many are judgmental, but sometimes, keeping things to yourself can make things a lot worse. Here are a few tips on sharing;
- Tell someone you can trust
- Make sure the friend of yours isn’t all about criticizing
- Be honest about it
- Tell someone who can listen patiently
When you share this kind of information with someone who understands, you’ll find that we aren’t that different at all. We all have that whispering critic inside of us, but whether we let him talk or silence him, is entirely our choice to make.
6. Seek professional assistance
In the African setting, it’s quite hard to approach a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist for professional help, because people think it’s related to insanity. However, don’t give in to that fear. Here’s how getting help from a professional will help you;
- You understand the depth of what you’re going through
- The professional tells you exactly how to defeat this mentality
- You get some medication if the effects have crystallized
- The psychologist can be trusted not to tell anyone, so you get to pour all your emotions out
So many people think seeking help is a sign of weakness, but they’re wrong. Seeking help when you’re overwhelmed means you care about yourself, and that’s a sign of strength.
7. Seek external motivation
These days, people look down on external motivation because it’s like a quick fix that doesn’t last. But what if you could get those little quick fixes several times daily, wouldn’t it change your perspective? Examples include;
- Motivational videos
- Talking to friends
- Watch an inspirational movie
- Listen to the songs that lift your mood
Whether it’s for 10-20 minutes, motivation makes you feel good about yourself, and that’s what matters.
8. Test your limits
Lots of people are so afraid of losing things that they fear to attempt to gain more. When you push through barriers like these, you get to learn more about yourself than you actually knew.
Here are the ways you can test your limits;
- Try everything you’re afraid of
- Push a little bit further than usual
- Try breaking other people’s records
- Don’t go too far overboard
9. Watch what you eat
If you didn’t know this, the food we eat determines a lot about our energy levels, long term behavior, mood and emotion. To avoid somber and depressive moods, try eating the following foods;
- Proteins
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- desserts
10. Start your fitness journey
Not to body-shame anyone, but your fitness level, blood flow and health of your organs does a lot to predict how you’ll think of yourself. Here are some advantages of being physically fit;
- Makes you mentally tougher by building your endurance
- Betters the blood flow to your brain
- Makes you feel better about yourself
- Gives you more confidence
- Makes you feel more positive
To achieve the above and more, here are some of the strategies you can take;
- Get a gym membership
- Jog regularly
- Eat what keeps you fit
- Make it a part of you, because once you stop, the relapse could be stronger than it was at first
Conclusion;
Self-criticism, if controlled and tamed, can be a great tool to keep one’s pride in check. This means all the bad choices that would’ve come as a result of pride and vanity would be evaded. However, once it supersedes every other feeling and it’s all you have whether you’ve done good or bad, you’re in a bad state – and you have to get yourself out of it as soon as possible.