“You’ll never stick to that exercise program, why do you even bother?”

You don’t cook healthy meals because you’re lazy. That’s why you always end up ordering take out.” 

“You should really lose those 15… no, make it 20 pounds.”

Does this sound familiar?

If you’ve heard these phrases (or other ones like these) inside your head, you’re not alone… or crazy! 

This is your inner critic, and it’s one of the ugly secrets many women feel carry that subconsciously keeps them stuck in their lives – even though many women don’t realize this is even occurring.

It’s Time to Fire Your Inner Critic

We’ve all got that incessant voice in our heads that speaks up when we do things like try on new clothes, make a mistake, experience a perceived failure, or consider branching out of our comfort zone to try something different. And this internal diatribe occurring inside us tends not to be in the nicest of tones, am I right? This voice is our inner critic.

Often, the voice mimics our internalized version of criticism from a primary caregiver in early childhood. It tries to keep us safe – urging us to avoid pain and disappointment – but not in the best of ways.

If you’re ready to send your inner critic into early retirement, grab a writing utensil and a journal and follow these six steps. (You can certainly do this activity on a mobile device or computer if you prefer, but I find that there’s so much more power and connection in writing important things out by hand!)