You control the noise in your head, Or it controls you. 6 strategies to quiet your internal critic:

Every day I go to war with an enemy who lives in my head. My internal critic is always active. Every chance it gets, an internal voice screams self-doubt and negativity. So I've had to develop strategies to manage the noise. If you're like me, These strategies can help:

End How You Want To Start: The easiest way to control the noise in your head, Is to silence it before bed each night. I used to lay in bed at night evaluating. Every day ended with self-judgment. It's no surprise I woke up each morning in a pile of head trash.

So I changed my evening routine. Now I: - Shut down screens 30 minutes before bed - Put on peaceful music - Take deep breaths - Say goodnight to the issues nagging at me - Formally close down and release my day If you end your day in peace, It will carry over.

Slow Down and Choose Wisely: When I pause and take stock, I see how fast I'm moving each day. This means that I'm not putting much thought into the choices I make. I eat, speak, and act without thinking. When there's no intention behind your choices, You make bad choices.

Bad choices provide evidence for your internal critic to use against you. If you want that to stop, you must start making better choices. This requires you to: - Slow down - Recognize the choice - Consider the options - Choose deliberately Then you can own your actions.

Navigate by Resistance: My internal critic screams the loudest when I'm being stretched. If I'm putting myself out there or staring down a challenge, Everything inside of me wants to run and hide. Author Steven Pressfield gave a name to this feeling: "Resistance."

Resistance is the force that presses against you when you start important work. Rather than letting Resistance stop me, I started using it as an indication that I'm on the right path. It's a guide leading me to growth. Turn Resistance into a motivation, not an excuse.

Make Hard A Habit: 10 years ago I started distance running. Which is not something I'm built for. I don't have anything close to a "runner's body" and I've always hated running. But those reasons are exactly why I started doing it. I turned something difficult into a habit.

Mental toughness is a muscle. Like any muscle, it atrophies if you don't work it out. When you make challenging yourself into a habitual practice, It gives you evidence to use against your internal critic. It's daily proof that you can defy the odds. Do hard things daily.

Put It On Paper: Most of what my internal critic has to say is based on fear. Fear is a fungus that grows in cold, dark places. It rarely holds up in the light. When my internal critic starts speaking, I start writing.

There's a simple exercise I do. On one side of a page, I put words to what I'm feeling. I name the fear. On the other side, I ask: "What if the opposite were true?" Then write down as many answers as I can. Try it. You'll see how tame the monsters in the closet really are.

Stop Speaking Negatives: I'm fascinated by the power of spoken words. While you can't avoid having negative thoughts, It's important that you avoid speaking them out. When you make a negative declaration, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

For 3 days, take stock of what you say about: - Your life circumstances - Your happiness - Your chances of succeeding Notice what casually comes out of your mouth. You may be surprised at how much noise you're creating. If you want to change your life, change your words.

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