Self-Criticism from a Psychological Perspective: Tips for Moving Forward Anyway

Do you ever look at yourself in the mirror in the morning and suddenly feel, "I'm still not good enough"?

Chasing after work, thinking about family and personal matters, you might find yourself being the harshest critic of all.

As a working woman, you may often blame yourself repeatedly,
feeling you must be perfect and never make a mistake.

However, that feeling of "self-criticism" is actually the flip side of the positive energy that wants to do your best.

In psychology, "self-criticism" is known as a mental habit of trying to improve self-evaluation,
and it is often found to appear alongside a strong sense of ambition and responsibility.

Why are we so hard on ourselves?

• We tend to link small failures to major self-reflection.

• We often compare ourselves to others and think, "I should be able to do more..."

• We try to maintain motivation by blaming our "incompetent self."

However, the concept of "self-compassion" is gaining attention in psychology.

This is a mental skill of showing kindness even to your "incompetent self" and "acknowledging what you can do now."

Research from Cornell University and other institutions points out that people who are overly self-critical
have lower stress tolerance and are more prone to ruminating on failures.

Tips for softening "self-criticism"

• Try to accept yourself exactly as you are in this moment.
  Try saying to yourself even when you fail, "You did your best."

• Look back on small successes.
  Even small things like, "I was busy yesterday, but I managed to finish one email," are okay.

• Don't compare yourself too much with others.
  Instead of competing, believe that your strength has grown by the amount you have walked your own path.

There will never be a day when self-criticism hits zero.

But when you take a deep breath and list just one thing you were able to do today,
I feel like a gentle hope lights up in your heart.

I often blame myself too, very quickly.

But that is exactly when I want to stop,
and say to my past self, "You are still moving forward just fine."

Your worries and hesitations as a working woman are all valuable experiences just as they are.

A new step begins from the moment you acknowledge yourself.

I also waver every day, but I cherish my feelings in order to live a life without regrets.

I would be happy if we could walk through those days together.

Thank you for reading until the end.

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