This weekend I was on a writing retreat, working hard on editing the manuscript for the book I want to put into the world. I’m so excited about this work, but throughout the weekend I was filled with doubts. My inner-critic was strong and I was being very hard on myself and the process.
We have these times where we are quick to judge and extra hard on ourselves. You may feel this way sometimes too. At school, with your students at home… it doesn’t always matter where. When this inner-critic decides to get loud it can be distracting, unnerving and downright frustrating. For me, it feels like the critics in my head are like the heckling muppets up in the balcony of The Muppet Show. Do you remember Statler and Waldorf? The pair of Muppet characters known for their cantankerous opinions and shared penchant for heckling. My thoughts often sound just like this.
So, instead of attending to all of the voices this weekend, I made a lot of space to practice quieting my inner-critic. I met it with a bit of gentleness, “oh, hello dear, you’re back are you?” and then with a bit of humour in my tone, “now you’re really trying to drag me down aren’t you…” and lastly always with the reminder that thoughts are only thoughts and I don’t have to attend to them, “oh honey, you don’t need to believe everything you think.” With a regular mindfulness practice, attending to my breath and meeting all these voices with kindness, I was able to get back to work.
You may also notice that your inner-critic is getting louder these days as the stress piles up. Enjoy the practice below to help you calm your inner-critic.
And, join me next Tuesday at 7:45 on Instagram (@LisaBaylis) to practice live with me each week.