Feeling Self Critical? – 12 Signs You Are Too Critical Of Yourself
Do you ever feel self critical? Here are 12 signs that you are being too self-critical of yourself and what to do to stop.
Let’s chat about when you are self critical.
If you have a tendency to be too self-critical this post will show you exactly how to be kinder to yourself.
While it’s admirable to do your best and attempt to be the best person you can be, sometimes we cross that line into becoming too self-critical.
Sure it makes sense to examine your negative results in life and try to do better the next time.
But it’s also easy to become too self-critical.
FYI: A high level of self-criticism is detrimental to success and good mental health.
Here’s the thing: excessive self-criticism hurts your self-esteem and confidence.
Consider these signs that you might be too critical of yourself:
SELF CRITICAL TIP
# 1 – You’re paralyzed.
One sign that you’re overly critical toward yourself is a lack of action.
If you’ve been stuck in the same situation for an extended period of time, you’re too hard on yourself.
Otherwise, you’d be out there taking care of business and making positive changes to your life.
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# 2 – You’re slow to forgive others.
When you can’t forgive yourself, you’re unable to forgive others.
When you can let go and forgive yourself instead, you can finally do the same for the other people in your life.
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# 3 – You’re never pleased with your accomplishments.
It doesn’t matter to you that you shaved 10 minutes off your best 10K time or graduated from medical school.
You’re bothered by the fact that you didn’t win the race or attend Harvard medical school.
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# 4 – You’re not assertive.
You have to be comfortable with yourself to feel comfortable with asserting yourself.
Assertiveness also brings the risk of rejection.
Being too self-critical can increase the fear of rejection from others.
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# 5 – You consistently say bad things to yourself.
There’s little harm in a small amount of negative self-talk.
But a constant barrage of self-criticism is highly damaging.
Imagine telling your child that they can’t do anything right and should give up trying.
It sounds crazy when viewed from that perspective.
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# 6 – You’re a chronic underachiever.
Underachieving is both a symptom and a cause of self-criticism.
Consistent underachieving is a call to action!
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# 7 – Others feel comfortable being critical of you.
The average person isn’t comfortable criticizing others.
However, after they’ve heard you criticize yourself repeatedly, they’re likely to feel they can join in on the criticism.
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# 8 – You criticize yourself in general terms, rather than just for specific events.
There’s a difference between telling yourself that you’re not a good tennis player and telling yourself that you’re not good at anything.
General criticism is false and highly damaging.
A lack of success at a particular activity doesn’t make you flawed at everything.
It’s illogical.
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# 9 – You keep your opinions to yourself.
While you have every reason to avoid telling your neighbor she looks less than the best in her dress, you should definitely feel comfortable sharing the title of your favorite book.
Why NOT share that information?
If you don’t feel comfortable sharing your opinions freely, then there’s a chance that you may be feeling too concerned about being judged by others or saying the wrong thing.
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# 10 – You spend too much time dwelling on your mistakes.
Can you move on quickly after a short period of self-reflection or do you dwell on your mistakes for an extended period of time?
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# 11 – You find yourself unable to ask for help.
It shouldn’t be difficult to ask for help.
In fact, the more help the better!
Are you afraid of being viewed as incapable?
If so, you’re too critical of yourself.
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# 12 – You can’t give yourself a single compliment.
Everyone is good at something.
Or maybe you know you’re good at a few things but don’t think you deserve a compliment.
Either way, you’re being too hard on yourself.
In the end, you need to know that you’re sabotaging yourself by being overly self-critical.
You limit not only your own success but you negatively impact your mood.
It’s time that you realize how much you harm yourself with self-criticism.
Reread these 12 signs again and see if you show any signs of self-criticism.
If so, try to learn from your mistakes and apply the information you learn with enthusiasm and kindness.
Be an encourager.
The world has plenty of critics already.
You don’t need to have a personal critic living inside your own head!
SELF CRITICISM QUOTES
You have been criticizing yourself for year and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens. Louise L. Hays
We all have the tendency to believe self-doubt and self-criticism but listening to this voice never gets us closer to our goals. Instead try on the point of view of a mentor or good friend who believes in you, wants the best for you and will encourage you when you feel discouraged. Kelly McGonigal
Accept both compliments and criticism. It takes both sun and rain for a flower to grow.
One should never criticize his own work except in a fresh and hopeful mood. The self-criticism of a tired mind is suicide. Charles Horton Cooley
Self-criticism, like self-administered brain surgery is perhaps not a good idea. Can the “self” see the “self” with any objectivity? – Joyce Carol Oates
If babies held the same tendency toward self-criticism as adults, they might never learn to walk or talk. Can you imagine infants stomping, “Aarggh! Screwed up again! Fortunately babies are free of self-criticism. They just keep practicing. Dan Millman
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I’m Frances Vidakovic – a mindset & action coach for quietly ambitious women who want to stop overthinking and finally take aligned action. I help women achieve their goals and follow through on what matters, without sacrificing their sanity or soul.