Inner Critic

Mental Health @ Home book review: Sh*t I Say to Myself

Book Review: Sh*t I Say to Myself

Sh*t I Say to Myself by Katie Krimer aims to help readers change their negative self-talk. The author is a therapist, and also describes herself as “a recovered negative thinker and self-talker. I’m also a former insomniac, life-long worrier and overthinker, recurring panic attack survivor, skilled ruminator, and recuperating perfectionist.” The book is broken down …

Book Review: Sh*t I Say to Myself Read More »

Mental Health @ Home book review: cover of How to Be Yourself

Book Review: How to Be Yourself

How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety by psychologist Ellen Hendriksen offers cognitive behavioural therapy-based strategies to help readers overcome social anxiety. The author herself has experienced social anxiety, and I always like when authors are willing to be vulnerable and add that personal touch. The book is aimed …

Book Review: How to Be Yourself Read More »

Fear: how big a role has it played in your decision-making? - woman peering through hole torn in paper

How Big a Role Has Fear Played in Your Decisions?

For some people, fear can have a significant influence on the choice they make. In this post, I wanted to discuss how much of a role fear plays in our own decision-making process. Looking back, I don’t think fear was a big factor in most of my decisions. If I wanted to do something, I …

How Big a Role Has Fear Played in Your Decisions? Read More »

How Does the Inner Critic Get Started?

I’ve noticed that a lot of people in the blogging world have quite a strong inner critic. I don’t, and II find it fascinating when it seems like people believe that they should self-criticize in order to do things properly, or in order to avoid being a bad person. So let’s chat about it. To …

How Does the Inner Critic Get Started? Read More »

How Hard Do You Push Yourself Against Mental Illness?

Perhaps there are things you want to do, or think you should do, but they’re just not happening. How hard do you push yourself to try to get ‘er done anyway? Do you keep trying even when it becomes clear there’s no way it’s going to happen? I can think of a few factors that …

How Hard Do You Push Yourself Against Mental Illness? Read More »

Mental Health @ Home book review: Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff

Book Review: Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff

Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself is written by Kristin Neff, a prominent researcher in the area of self-compassion. It includes research findings, a variety of exercises with room to complete them in the book, and stories from the author’s personal experience. The author draws on Buddhist teachings, and she writes that: …

Book Review: Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff Read More »

Am I a bad person? Or maybe that's the wrong question

Am I a Bad Person? Or Is That the Wrong Question?

“Am I a bad person?” It seems to be a fairly common question. Searching for that question on Google yields 263 million hits. I’ve also seen it raised in the blogosphere. Regardless of what the answer may or may not seem to be, though, is it a valid and/or useful question? What exactly is a …

Am I a Bad Person? Or Is That the Wrong Question? Read More »

The problem with perfect is that it doesn't exist

The Problem With Perfect… Is That It Doesn’t Exist

Being perfect is an ideal that some people may strive for or feel that they are required to attain, but how realistic is the notion of perfection? One of the biggest problems with perfect is that a lot of things in this world are subjective. When it comes to things that are subjective, everyone has …

The Problem With Perfect… Is That It Doesn’t Exist Read More »

When you fail, are you a failure at a task? Or as a person?

When You Fail, Are You a Failure at a Task? Or as a Person?

Failure isn’t fun. There’s just no two ways about that. But what does that failure mean> I think that, particularly when mental illness is involved, it’s easy to leap from “I failed at [X]” to “I’m a failure.” But taking a step back, they’re not really the same thing. Fear of failure Fear of failure …

When You Fail, Are You a Failure at a Task? Or as a Person? Read More »