How To Become More Aware Of Your Own Self-Judgments
We all have a little voice inside our head that loves to point out our imperfections and tell us we’re not good enough. This voice can be incredibly judgmental, and it’s often the source of our negative self-talk.
If left unchecked, this voice can become very loud and overwhelming. The good news is, there are ways we can become more aware of these self-judgments and learn to quiet the negative noise. Here are three tips:
Pay Attention To Your Thoughts
The first step is to simply become more aware of your thoughts. A lot of times, we’re on autopilot and we’re not really paying attention to what we’re thinking. But if you start paying attention, you’ll notice that a lot of your thoughts are judgmental.
For example, you might catch yourself thinking things like “I’m so fat,” “I’m such a screw-up,” or “I’ll never be good enough.” These thoughts are not true and they’re not helpful, so it’s important to learn how to recognize them for what they are.
Acknowledge Your Judgments
Once you start becoming aware of your judgments, the next step is to acknowledge them. This means recognizing that just because you have a thought, doesn’t mean it’s true. Thoughts are just thoughts—they’re not real.
So, when you notice yourself thinking something judgmental, try to acknowledge it without getting too wrapped up in it. You might say something like, “Oh, there’s that judgmental voice again,” or “That’s just my inner critic talking.”
Challenge Your Judgments
The final step is to challenge your judgments. This means examining your thoughts and asking yourself if they’re really true. For example, if you catch yourself thinking “I’m such a screw-up,” ask yourself if that’s really true. What evidence do you have to support that thought? Is it possible that you’re being too hard on yourself?
Once you start challenging your judgments, you’ll see how often they’re actually based on false assumptions or irrational beliefs. And when you see them for what they really are, it becomes easier to let them go.
These days, it’s more important than ever to be aware of our own self-judgments. With all the negativity in the world, it’s easy for our inner critic to get too loud and start taking over. But by paying attention to our thoughts, acknowledging our judgments, and challenging them, when necessary, we can learn to quiet the negative noise and focus on the things that truly matter.
