Silence that Inner Critic

Identifying the voice of our Inner Critic is essential. Without this awareness, we will not be able to point our lives in the direction we wish it to go. 

An Inner Critic lives in our head. He or she is always there! We will hear him more loudly when we’re in a vulnerable position. What we actually need is lots of encouragement and acknowledgement. Our Inner Critic knows this and this is exactly when he’ll pounce and will call himself a realist. Let’s not be fooled – he’s ready to ruin our ideas and dreams, denting our self-esteem.

Inner Critic

Examples of what our Inner Critic may say are “You’re not good enough, smart enough or thin enough. It’s going to be a bad day! Loser! Quit while you’re ahead. Don’t make a fool of yourself. You want to do what?!”

  • We need to recognise him and stop him immediately.
  • Changing our focus and moving our bodies into a different position (e.g. by going for a little walk and smiling) helps to shift our attention.
  • We need to talk back, sing our praises and do things that raise our self-esteem.


Research indicates that to change behaviour, it is more effective to stop telling yourself negative things than to just tell yourself positive things. It’s not so much the power of positive thinking as it is the power of non-negative thinking.
 – Mathew McKay (Author of “Self-Esteem”)


The Inner Critic’s voice gets louder when mixing with negative people (especially if they are friends) who have a natural tendency to fuel our fears and insecurities. By listening to true friends, having faith and trust in self, we can develop a good inner voice that has our best interests at heart. With self-exploration and discovery (perhaps through reflection, meditation and or journalling) we could learn more about ourselves and understand how the Inner Critic and his possible motives can become a powerful ally in our personal development.


  • What is our critic saying, which keeps us stuck and feeling incapable of change?
  • How does this serve us?
  • What does it cost us? ‘I feel miserable and de-motivated. It costs me true success, my self-esteem, happiness and inner peace.”



I was discussing this article with my 18-year-old son, Jace, and he immediately referred to a poem he wrote when he was 16. I would like to share it with you in my next post  What Is Fear
Sharing is caring
Chantaul Jordan
Follow Chantaul Jordan:

Wellness Coach

I enjoy a peaceful approach to life by living on purpose and fulfilling my passion. I am dedicated to assisting individuals to create a clear focus for themselves and to express it in a dynamic and authentic way.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *