You ever stand in front of the mirror and instead of seeing a badass woman who’s survived a hundred hard things, you hear a mean little voice pointing out every dimple, roll, and uneven eyebrow?
Yeah. That voice is a liar.
That voice is your inner critic—and she needs to be kicked out of the damn conversation.
Where She Came From
That bitchy voice in your head isn’t actually you. She’s a mash-up of every rude comment you’ve ever heard, every impossible standard you’ve tried to meet, and every shame-y message you’ve absorbed since middle school.
She’s not truth. She’s programming.
But just because she’s loud doesn’t mean she’s right.
How to Shut Her Down
- Catch her in the act. Start noticing when your brain goes into self-attack mode. Awareness is step one.
- Talk back. If someone else talked to you the way your inner critic does, you’d throw a punch. So start throwing words back. Try, “That’s not true,” or “That’s not helpful,” or just a good ol’ “Shut up.”
- Replace the script. You don’t have to fake love every part of yourself. But you can practice saying, “I’m still worthy” or “My body deserves respect.”
You don’t need to go full Stuart Smalley with daily affirmations (Yes I am old). Just start being a little less of an asshole to yourself.
Why It Matters
Because how you talk to yourself becomes how you treat yourself. And when your inner dialogue is full of cruelty, guilt, and shame, you start living like someone who doesn’t deserve good things.
But you do. You deserve love, rest, pleasure, hot photos of yourself, confidence, and joy. Not after you fix yourself. Not once you look perfect. Now.
So next time you’re in front of the mirror, try this:
Catch your eye. Take a breath. Say something kind. Even if it feels fake. Even if your brain fights you on it.
Because the more you do it, the more your inner critic gets drowned out by someone way better: you, but kinder.
xoxo
Amy and Brie