Our inner critic is the voice from inside our heads, that always puts us under a microscope.
Its "job" is to find and accentuate our failures.

Everybody has an inner critic

But it is in your power to develop a relationship with it.
Think of your inner critic as a part of you, not all of you. This gives you distance from it and keeps you from attacking yourself.

You can’t get rid of your inner critic

Give to the voice of Confidence more of the time you were giving to your inner Critic, letting it acknowledge your accomplishments and positive qualities.
You can try imagining Confidence sitting across from you in a chair, as you listen to what it has to say.

Personifying Confidence

<div>A simple visualization exercise can help you better control the voice inside your head.</div><div>By </div><UL><LI><a to="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/bryan-robinson/" href="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/bryan-robinson/" dir="ltr">Bryan Robinson, Ph.D.</a>,&nbsp;Psychotherapist in Private Practice and Author of 40 books.</LI></UL><figure><img alt="Westend61/ Getty Images" src="https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-1042692996-3.jpg" srcset="https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-1042692996-3.jpg?w=480 480w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-1042692996-3.jpg?w=600 600w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-1042692996-3.jpg?w=900 900w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-1042692996-3.jpg?w=1180 1180w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/GettyImages-1042692996-3.jpg?w=1550 1550w" width="785" height="524"><figcaption dir="auto">Westend61/ Getty Images</figcaption></figure>Everybody has an inner critic — that voice that lives inside your head, putting you under a microscope. Much like the drill sergeant who wants to save his soldiers’ lives, the Critic’s job is to point out your failures so you don’t get your head blown off in combat.&nbsp;You can’t get rid of Critic, so don’t even try, but you can develop a relationship with it. Next time Critic blinks in your mind like a neon sign, think of it as a part of you, not all of you. Listening to it as a separate part, instead of as you, gives you distance from it and keeps you from attacking yourself. Once you hear Critic as a part instead of as you, there’s room for Confidence — that nurturing and encouraging voice, cheering you on with goodhearted affirmations like a best friend would.&nbsp;Start giving Confidence equal time, letting it acknowledge your accomplishments and positive qualities. You might imagine Confidence sitting across from you in a chair, as you listen to what it has to say. The more you watch Critic from afar — without getting frustrated or trying to get rid of it — the easier it will be for Confidence to show up and give you a friendly hand.<figure><img src="https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Chill-HIGH-RES-COVER-3.jpg" srcset="https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Chill-HIGH-RES-COVER-3.jpg 382w, https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Chill-HIGH-RES-COVER-3.jpg?resize=216%2C300 216w" width="382" height="531"><figcaption dir="ltr">Excerpt from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chill-Turn-Off-Your-Life/dp/0062896016/" dir="ltr">#Chill: Turn Off Your Job and Turn On Your Life</a>&nbsp;with permission from the author and publisher.</figcaption></figure>Follow us&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/thriveglbl/" dir="ltr">here</a>&nbsp;and subscribe&nbsp;<a href="https://thriveglobal.com/newsletter/?utm_source=Recirc&amp;utm_medium=Thrive" dir="ltr">here</a>&nbsp;for all the latest news on how you can keep Thriving.Stay up to date or catch-up on all our podcasts with Arianna Huffington&nbsp;<a href="https://thriveglobal.com/categories/thrive-podcasts/?utm_source=Recirc&amp;utm_medium=Thrive" dir="ltr">here</a>.<div><time>— Published on August 3, 2020</time></div><img src="https://content.thriveglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Bryan-Robinson_6691.C5-copy.jpg?quality=60&amp;resize=60,60" alt="" width="60" height="60"><h3 dir="ltr"><a to="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/bryan-robinson/" href="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/bryan-robinson/" dir="ltr">Bryan Robinson, Ph.D.</a>, Psychotherapist in Private Practice and Author of 40 books.</h3>Bryan Robinson, Ph.D. is a professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, psychotherapist in private practice, and award-winning author of two novels and 40 nonfiction books that have been translated into 15 languages. His latest book is&nbsp;THE LIZARD BRAIN SURVIVAL GUIDE: HOW TO KEEP YOUR COOL WHEN THINGS DON’T GO YOUR WAY.&nbsp;Previous books include&nbsp;#CHILL: TURN OFF YOUR JOB AND TURN ON YOUR LIFE&nbsp;(William Morrow),&nbsp;DAILY WRITING RESILIENCE: 365 MEDITATIONS &amp; INSPIRATIONS FOR WRITERS&nbsp;(Llewellyn Worldwide),&nbsp;and&nbsp;CHAINED TO THE DESK: A GUIDEBOOK FOR WORKAHOLICS, THEIR PARTNERS AND CHILDREN, AND THE CLINICIANS WHO TREAT THEM&nbsp;(New York University Press).&nbsp;He is a regular contributor to&nbsp;Forbes.com, Psychology Today, and Thrive Global. He has appeared on 20/20, Good Morning America, The CBS Early Show, ABC's World News Tonight, NPR’s Marketplace, NBC Nightly News and he hosted the PBS documentary "Overdoing It: How To Slow Down And Take Care Of Yourself."&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bryanrobinsonbooks.com/" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.bryanrobinsonbooks.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1582308961651000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFu-nujA0t3MUee_QzpJa0gLxG8DQ" dir="ltr">www.bryanrobinsonbooks.com</a>.<div dir="ltr">Share your comments below. Please read our <a href="https://thriveglobal.com/stories/commenting-guidelines/" dir="ltr">commenting guidelines</a> before posting. If you have a concern about a comment, report it <a href="mailto:communityhelp@thriveglobal.com" dir="ltr">here</a>.
</div>

A simple visualization exercise can help you better control the voice inside your head.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

health

Health

communication

Communication

timemanagement

Time Management

<ul><li><a dir="ltr" href="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/bryan-robinson/" to="https://thriveglobal.com/authors/bryan-robinson/">Bryan Robinson, Ph.D. </a>, Psychotherapist in Private Practice and Author of 40 books. </li> </ul>

Everybody has an inner critic — that voice that lives inside your head, putting you under a microscope. Much like the drill sergeant who wants to save his soldiers’ lives, the Critic’s job is to point out your failures so you don’t get your head blown off in combat.

You can’t get rid of Critic, so don’t even try, but you can develop a relationship with it. Next time Critic blinks in your mind like a neon sign, think of it as a part of you, not all of you. Listening to it as a separate part, instead of as you , gives you distance from it and keeps you from attacking yourself. Once you hear Critic as a part instead of as you, there’s room for Confidence — that nurturing and encouraging voice, cheering you on with goodhearted affirmations like a best friend would.

Start giving Confidence equal time, letting it acknowledge your accomplishments and positive qualities. You might imagine Confidence sitting across from you in a chair, as you listen to what it has to say. The more you watch Critic from afar — without getting frustrated or trying to get rid of it — the easier it will be for Confidence to show up and give you a friendly hand.

Chill: Turn Off Your Job and Turn On Your Life

Follow us <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/thriveglbl/">here </a> and subscribe <a dir="ltr" href="https://thriveglobal.com/newsletter/?utm_source=Recirc&amp;utm_medium=Thrive">here </a> for all the latest news on how you can keep Thriving.

Stay up to date or catch-up on all our podcasts with Arianna Huffington <a dir="ltr" href="https://thriveglobal.com/categories/thrive-podcasts/?utm_source=Recirc&amp;utm_medium=Thrive">here </a>.

Bryan Robinson, Ph.D.  , Psychotherapist in Private Practice and Author of 40 books.

Bryan Robinson, Ph.D. is a professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, psychotherapist in private practice, and award-winning author of two novels and 40 nonfiction books that have been translated into 15 languages. His latest book is THE LIZARD BRAIN SURVIVAL GUIDE: HOW TO KEEP YOUR COOL WHEN THINGS DON’T GO YOUR WAY.  Previous books include #CHILL: TURN OFF YOUR JOB AND TURN ON YOUR LIFE  (William Morrow),  DAILY WRITING RESILIENCE: 365 MEDITATIONS &amp; INSPIRATIONS FOR WRITERS  (Llewellyn Worldwide) ,  and  CHAINED TO THE DESK: A GUIDEBOOK FOR WORKAHOLICS, THEIR PARTNERS AND CHILDREN, AND THE CLINICIANS WHO TREAT THEM  (New York University Press) .  He is a regular contributor to Forbes.com, Psychology Today, and Thrive Global. He has appeared on 20/20, Good Morning America, The CBS Early Show, ABC's World News Tonight, NPR’s Marketplace, NBC Nightly News and he hosted the PBS documentary "Overdoing It: How To Slow Down And Take Care Of Yourself." <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.bryanrobinsonbooks.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1582308961651000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFu-nujA0t3MUee_QzpJa0gLxG8DQ" dir="ltr" href="http://www.bryanrobinsonbooks.com/" rel="noopener">www.bryanrobinsonbooks.com </a>.

How to Befriend Your Inner Critic

Everybody has an inner critic

You can’t get rid of your inner critic

Personifying Confidence

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