How to de-fang your inner critic

Why do you even have limiting beliefs that hold you back?

According to cognitive behavioral theory (CBT), we all have automatic negative thoughts (ANTs). In neuroscience, this is the inner critic, but guess what, she’s our “survivor brain.” I’ll have more about that on Thursday’s #NSCJournalPrompt.

But here is what you need to do to silence your inner critic. Catch and control the ANTs:

✔️ Catch them early—as soon as they are triggered, capture them by writing them down.
✔️ Observe them, don’t judge them. What do you notice about your behaviors when they come?
✔️ Are the ANTs based in reality? Are they really YOUR Ants, or does someone project them onto you?
✔️ What are the beliefs associated with the ants: “I am____,” “Certain people are___” “The world is____” These are concepts as big as your positive values.

Now it’s time to unleash your inner sage.

According to researcher Shirzad Charmine, the mastermind behind the “sage brain,” these are superpowers your brain holds to combat the ANTs:
✔️ Empathize with yourself—give yourself a break
✔️ Explore why and where the ANTs come from
✔️ Innovate with the positive ideas you have about yourself to counter the limiting beliefs
✔️ Navigate the limiting beliefs with the tactics above.
✔️ Activate a plan to combat the ANTs.

Look for Slay Every Day: 52 Weeks to Rockstar Leadership, The Journal to release worldwide Jan 1, 2022. It is a curated collection of these videos which can also be viewed on my YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe.

Keep sharing your experiences and hacks in the comments. I want to hear from you.

LMS 

(RIP to the founder of CBT, Dr. Aaron T. Beck.)