I firmly believe that, in a way, a lot of us are wired to be too hard on ourselves. I would say I think the tendency to be especially critical towards ourselves is innate, or even an element of human nature, but I won’t as not all of us fall into this categorization. I sure as shit know some people who wouldn’t dare direct any criticism towards themselves. And I’m not saying either end of the spectrum is good, because neither are. Somewhere in between the two is a pretty good spot to be in.
I’ve been doing some thinking pertaining to the long-term consequences that can arise if we are too hard on ourselves in most contexts, and the results aren’t pretty. A lifetime of self-criticism is not a proactive way to live life, but unfortunately, a lot of us can relate to this practice.
When we are too hard on ourselves over an extended period of time, our mental health arguably takes a solid hit. Our confidence drops, along with other things like self-worth, purpose, and even motivation to do daily tasks in general. It is a dangerous game to play, and I find it disheartening so many of us do play it.
I’ve always been very hard on myself. I think this stems from my anxiety and perfectionism, and I can attest to the long-term damage it can and likely will have on anyone’s mental health. I’ve been working on shifting my mindset and trying to be less critical and harsh towards myself, but it is difficult to break the cycle when this mentality has been present for a long time.
Self-criticism is important from time-to-time in appropriate measures, but our overall wellbeing and happiness are far more important. Remind yourself on occasion to take a step back and focus on things about ourselves we like and appreciate as opposed to always concentrating on the negatives.
ontheedgeofeverything 