How do you talk to yourself? Really think about this.
Take a regular morning routine, such as getting ready for work, and think about what you say to yourself. As you check the mirror before stepping out of your home, what do you say? If it's something like, "You look fabulous!" you're probably not suffering too much from self-judgment. But it's more likely that you say something like, "I look so fat" or "Great, bags under my eyes again." As your day progresses, what's the self-talk? When you make a mistake at work, is your response compassionate or judgmental? Do you say things like "I'm such an idiot," or other negative descriptors?
It's important to point out that most people are very self-critical and at the same time, totally unaware of how damaging this is. Listen to your own self-talk and then picture yourself talking to a friend that way. The odds are, you would never speak to someone else as harshly as you speak to yourself.
Let's consider some strategies for reducing self judgement.
