A lot of us are highly self-critical but how is being self-critical affecting us?
As you already know, self-criticism can be productive in moderation, but in higher doses it can cause serious damages to one’s mental health, goal-setting, and interpersonal relationships.
To gain a better understanding of how self-criticism is impacting you, do a quick check of how often, or how many times in the last few days, you said to yourself something like, “I should”, “I must”, “I should have”, “If only I”.
Can you remember an inner voice reprimanding you for making a mistake, telling you that you are useless, you can’t do anything right?
Self-criticism may be affecting you negatively if you know that you:
Get very defensive when criticized
Procrastinate
Are eager to please others
Highly criticize others
Feel hopeless or worthless
Feel guilty
Feel unworthy and do not expect your needs to be met
Take everything personally
Have a difficult time opening up to people
Believe that self-criticism will pave the path to your success
If you answered “yes” to most or all of the above, self-criticism is affecting you negatively and it’s time to change that.
Liya Panayotova (Mar 27, 2016). Are You Negatively Impacted?. Retrieved Nov 07, 2024 from Explorable.com: https://explorable.com/e/are-you-negatively-impacted
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