Away from the office environment with space to reflect and share concerns and experiences with work colleagues - Clevedon Hall Limited opened its doors again for another of my monthly workshops.
Exploring the thorny issue of the inner critic was made so much easier by the peaceful surroundings and the chance for everyone to unwind.
Talking about it openly in a safe space encouraged even the least vocal to open up about the impact that their inner critics had had on them. It was fantastic to see the level of engagement and support offered to each other - you could call it 'positive challenge' of limitations which colleagues believed to be true of themselves.
Real insights emerged about words that are used without realising how much they convey - words like 'only' or 'just' that come across as apologetic and playing small. Words - like thoughts - have an energy that either supports or harms us. The words of the inner critic never have our best interests at heart!
5 Practical Tips for Silencing and Shifting the Inner Critic
Know what triggers you - a situation, activity, type of person
Notice when your critic shows up - by paying attention to your thoughts and feelings
Give it an identity and describe it - Arianna Huffington calls hers an 'obnoxious room mate'. How does it look/sound? Does it have a colour? etc
Call it out - separate it from you (because it isn't you - it's just energy that's hanging around). Talk back and challenge what it says - gradually taking away its power
Find the evidence - know where the truth lies
Time to start believing - and knowing - that being ourselves is more than enough......
Let's show up as being really human