We’ve teamed up with psychotherapist, wellness expert, blogger , and anti-perfectionist Megan Bruneau, M.A. RCC for this post.
Your inner critical voice is sabotaging your self-control
Self-criticism might be the only way we know how to motivate ourselves to achieve our weight loss goals. We’ve internalized an authoritarian voice we knew growing up. We assume being hard on ourselves is what gets us closer to healthy. “If I wasn’t hard on myself, I’d never get to the gym and live off cheese and chocolate!”
I’m not here to reprimand you at all–you do enough of that. And therein lies the problem:
In our world of optimal health, we often neglect one of the biggest health underminers of all: the critical inner voice we think is helping us.
Here’s how that critical voice is actually preventing you from getting health and happiness
Motivating from love, not fear.
Becoming a coach to yourself. Think about it: If you’ve ever played a sport or an instrument, perhaps there was a coach or instructor you both loved and respected. They still expected you to show up and perform, they still pushed you, and they still benched you when you missed practice or got in a fight on the field; but they expressed disapproval in behaviors vs. you as a person; they knew your worthiness as a player/artist/performer didn’t depend on one performance; if you were sick, they didn’t force you to “push through it.” They were understanding, forgiving, empathic, and tolerant–while still creating the conditions for you to grow and excel.
When we relate to ourselves like that favorite coach, we’re being self-compassionate.
However, most us default to the anxiety and depression-inducing, confidence undermining self criticism, rather than the supportive, growth-inspiring self compassion mentioned.
Luckily, self-compassion is a skill everyone can learn.
If you’re hesitant about being more self-loving, consider this:
Learning to embrace imperfections and motivate from a place of love isn’t something that happens overnight. And of course those of us who have high expectations for ourselves tend to be hard on ourselves for being hard on ourselves when we decide we want to make a change!
At Parsley Health, our leading medical providers and health coaches heal the root cause of health concerns with a personalized care plan and year-round support. Our root-cause resolution medicine has helped thousands feel better, with 85% of members reducing symptoms in their first year.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation call to find out how personalized root-cause medicine can transform your health.
Our leading medical providers and health coaches heal the root cause of health concerns with a personalized care plan and year-round support. Our root-cause resolution medicine has helped thousands feel better, with 85% of members reducing symptoms in their first year.