9 ways to combat self-criticism

Plus more health news | Email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( [Health Matters]( [Experts share strategies to silence your inner critic]( By Angela Haupt Health Editor There are few universal truths about humans, but one is this: Every single one of us engages in self-criticism from time to time. (My inner critic is currently raging against my failure to get on the treadmill at all this week.) A tendency toward critical self-talk is a habit, not a fixed personality trait, experts told me. It’s often exacerbated by childhood trauma, emotional abuse, bullying, sexism, homophobia, and social-media use. And there’s good reason to work on silencing it: Self-criticism has been found to worsen depression, anxiety, disordered eating, juvenile delinquency, self-harm, and suicidal behavior and ideation. Fortunately, there are ways to learn how to speak more kindly to ourselves. Here are a few of my favorite tips: - Practice loving-kindness meditation. Research suggests that a type of mindfulness called loving-kindness meditation can help change up your self-talk. The practice involves silently repeating encouraging phrases—like “May I be safe, may I be happy, may I be healthy, may I live with ease”—for about five minutes at a time. - Celebrate your wins. I’m consistently disappointed in myself for not crossing everything off my to-do list. Flip the script by creating a “done” list instead: Every night, make a list of all the things you accomplished that day, no matter how small—simply taking a vitamin counts. - Look for the (gentle) lessons. Self-criticism can sometimes contain important information and even prove helpful. If you’re hard on yourself for not keeping in good touch with your friends, for example, that signals a desire to nourish your friendships. Reframe the message: Instead of “You suck at keeping in touch,” try “This is really important to me. I wonder how I can make it happen more often.” [READ THE REST OF THE EXPERT ADVICE]( Share This Story What Else to Read [The Pandemic Made Masks Essential Household Items—Just in Time for Wildfire Smoke]( By Jamie Ducharme We at least had one tool at the ready. [Read More »]( [FDA Advisers Vote in Favor of Infant RSV Drug]( By Suzi Ring and Ilena Peng/Bloomberg The panel voted unanimously to endorse the long-acting monoclonal antibody Beyfortus for newborns and infants. [Read More »]( [COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Are Safe for Kids as Young as Six Months, Study Says]( By Haley Weiss New research finds that getting multiple COVID-19 mRNA vaccines is safe for kids under 5. [Read More »]( [As Toxic Wildfire Smoke Lingers, Americans Are Turning to DIY Air Purifiers]( By Beatrice Dupuy / AP Americans are turning to social media and duct tape as toxic wildfire smoke blankets much of the East Coast. [Read More »]( [For Many Cities Around The World, Bad Air Is An Inescapable Part of Life]( By SUMAN NAISHADHAM/AP For much of the world, breathing dangerously polluted air is an inescapable fact of life—and death. [Read More »]( AN EXPERT QUOTE To improve your focus, "keep reminding yourself of your goal. Whatever it takes whether it's putting a Post-it note with your goal [in front of you] or having a reminder be sent to you." —Gloria Mark, professor of informatics at the University of California, Irvine --------------------------------------------------------------- If you were forwarded this and want to sign up to receive it daily, [click here](. Today's newsletter was written by Angela Haupt and Jamie Ducharme, and edited by Elijah Wolfson. [Want more from TIME? Sign up for our other newsletters.]( [Subscribe to TIME]( TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Connect with TIME via [Facebook]( | [Twitter]( | [Newsletters]( [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS]( TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508 Questions? Contact health@time.com Copyright © 2023 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved.