New Ways to Deal With the Inner Critic |
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Many of us have an Inner Critic, a persistent negative voice that tells us we're not good enough.
We can develop the Inner Critic when we didn't get the nurturing support we needed as children.
Research reveals how you can keep the Inner Critic from sabotaging you.
You may have a persistent negative voice in your mind, especially when you’re doing something new, make a mistake, or feel anxious and uncertain. This Inner Critic says, “You never do anything right,” “You’re always messing up,” “You’re not good enough.”
In her new book, The Power of Authenticity, psychologist Michelle Chappel likens the Inner Critic’s voice to a talk radio station that drones on with negative messages, undermining our confidence and our ability to flourish (Chappel, 2026).
We can develop an Inner Critic if our parents or caregivers didn’t give us the nurturing support we needed. Research has traced many cases to childhood abuse or neglect (Mao et al., 2026; Sajjadi et al., 2023). The Inner Critic often echoes critical words we heard as children (Sokova et al., 2025), and we begin to feel that something is wrong with us.
But you don’t have to live with the Inner Critic. Research reveals how you can keep it from sabotaging you.
How to Overcome the Inner Critic
First, mindfully notice it. As Chappel (2026) explains, the Inner Critic activates the amygdala, our brain’s alarm center. Plunging us into fight, flight, or freeze, it can keep us from thinking clearly and moving forward in life. Becoming mindful of the Inner Critic reduces its power over us (Sokova et al., 2025). To detach from it further, you might even give it a comical name: “There’s that gremlin again.” The point here is to recognize that it’s not you, not true, but an old, conditioned........