I was talking with someone yesterday about how things that I over think weigh me down. After talking for a while he pointed out to me that part of the reason I over think things is because I look for fault in myself. I’m too critical of myself. I tell myself that I have to be the cause of whatever the problem is, rather than just being satisfied with not having anything to do with it. I over think things so much that I end up blaming myself and resenting myself for unnecessary things and turning my emotions inside. As a result, I’ve learned to bottle up my feelings until I explode. It’s not at all healthy.
One thing he told me I could do to help is to take notice of when I am being critical of myself. I tried doing this for the rest of the afternoon and I was astonished at how many times, in just a few hours, that I put myself down. The things I was telling myself were harsh and had absolutely nothing to back them up. If someone else was saying these things to me, I wouldn’t put up with it and I certainly would never say them to someone else. So, why is it ok for me to say those things to myself? The answer is simple. It isn’t.
The first step to stop being critical of yourself is to take notice and acknowledge when you are doing it. It’s not fun and it kind of hurts more, but it really helps put everything into perspective.
Do you ever find that you are too critical of yourself?