Daily Uplift is a podcast designed to help you live with passion and purpose. The topics discussed in this podcast are a reflection of David Panahi’s clinical work in the mental health field. Daily Uplift provides practical ways to improve your mental health and it is based on empirical research and therapy work. The episodes in this podcast do not replace seeking therapy for mental health purposes, rather it’s used as supplemental material to improve mental health. If you need therapy please reach out to therapists in your area. If you live in Illinois and wish to work with David Panahi in person or online please visit www.panahicounseling.com.
EPISODE NOTE
How to overcome the inner critic?
Identify the voice: become familiar with the voice of the critic. When do they appear? What do they say? How does it impact your mood? Journaling can help with this to track the consistency in the critic’s voice.
Question the critic: once you’re becoming familiar with the voice of the critic, consider questioning its validity. Consider using this worksheet design based on Cognitive Behavior Therapy to challenge your negative thoughts. Write down the situation, your thought process, your emotions, and your behavior. Pretty soon you realize that there are alternative ways to think about a situation.
Loving-kindness meditation: meditation is a powerful tool to slow down the mind and help it focus on productive thinking. There are many meditations out there on love and kindness, but the central piece is to learn to have compassion for ourselves.
Positive affirmation: consider using positive affirmation words each day. As you journal, come up with five positive (big or small) qualities you appreciate about yourself.
Limiting critical people: often times our inner critic is in agreement with critical people around us who are judgmental and overbearing. Consider setting healthy boundaries with these individuals.
Consider therapy: a major benefit of being in therapy is receiving feedback about our negative self-talk and its origin. It helps us understand why we engage in negative self-talk in the first place.
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The information in this podcast is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All contents are meant for general information purposes only and do not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional.