Hi,
And welcome to Jokes on You.
Most of us are well acquainted with the inner critic.
This voice inside our heads that second guesses us and sometimes seems so invincible that we stop questioning the truth behind their chatter.
When the inner critic raises its voice,
One way to encounter it is by applying humor.
When imagining this judgy critic as a silly movie character or with a funny voice,
We can take away its power and see the comicality behind it.
So-called benign humor has in fact been deemed a protective factor against stress,
Anxiety,
And self-criticism.
This flow session gives you the opportunity to turn your inner critic into ridicule.
Perceiving it as a silly or goofy thing that can help to attach less value on what it says and remain clear-headed and confident instead.
With this equanimity and self-confidence,
It will be much easier to focus on your challenge,
Perform at your best,
And find your flow.
Mentally prepare for this session by reminding yourself that you've taken this time out of your day to strengthen your optimistic mindset.
So once again,
Commit yourself to be here now,
And find your flow.
Get in a comfortable position where you can remain attentive,
Yet relaxed.
Close your eyes if you like.
And let your face and jaw soften.
Then observe your breathing for a moment.
Becoming aware of the calm flow of your breath how the air flows in.
And out.
Naturally.
And in a moment.
I will count from 5 to 0.
And you can gradually let your body become more and more relaxed with every number I count.
5.
Letting your legs and buttocks sink heavily into the surface beneath you.
Four.
Relaxing your arms and hands.
3.
Sinking deeper and deeper into relaxation.
To.
Relaxing your face.
And shoulders.
One.
Letting go of any remaining tension with your next out breath.
Zero.
Your whole body is completely relaxed.
Enjoy a moment in this pleasant state of relaxation and observe how it feels for you right now.
And from this state of calm,
It feels safe for you to call to mind the difficult moments in life,
Where self-critical or self-deprecating thoughts overshadow your experience.
Where you're second-guessing yourself or listening to the voice inside your head trying to keep you small and pointing out the negative of each situation.
Just recall these moments while remaining observant and curious.
And it doesn't really matter whether the things this voice tells you are true or not.
Because you may already be able to see that.
In any case,
It's not really conducive for you to perform and feel at your best.
That's why I invite you now to look at this inner critic from a different angle.
Making it seem less invincible and strong.
And imagining,
In your mind's eye,
What the ridiculous version of it would look like.
What if your inner critic had a silly voice on helium?
But what if it was a bit clumsy,
Perhaps saying everything with a,
Um,
After each word?
Or speaking very slowly in fatigue.
Maybe you also want to imagine it as a silly movie character.
Someone that makes you take it less seriously,
Perhaps even raise a smile from you.
Just let your creativity run free for a moment and allow yourself to turn your inner critic into ridicule.
Imagining everything this voice says with a humorous spin.
And as you're picturing an absurd and ridiculous side of your inner critic.
You may notice a change in how the messages are getting across.
Maybe how they seem less threatening or daunting.
And more like silly comments from a clown that you could not take seriously.
So I wonder if you can shrug off whatever this critical inner voice is holding against you with a chuckle.
And focus on the things that lift you up instead Can you imagine what it would feel like if you just responded with an inner smile and something like,
Thanks,
I got this.
Perhaps feeling more balanced determined.
Encouraged.
Or lighthearted.
And in order to reinforce these positive feelings and recall them in your everyday life.
You can repeat this flow impulse a few times to yourself I got this.
I got this.
Yes you do.
And whenever you notice the merest hint of self-criticism or doubt arising in your everyday life,
You can now set yourself the intention to recall the ridiculous side of your inner critic that you just pictured and tell it that you got this.
Amazing.
Then deepen your breath again.
Taking a strong deep breath in through your nose.
And sighing it out.
Stretch your arms above your head.
Making yourself as tall as possible.
And when you feel a fresh wave of focus rise,
Open your eyes and take this feeling of confidence with you into the rest of your day Very nice.
Today you practice to change your image of your inner critic,
To disempower it,
And remain confident and cool-headed.
This skill can help you in difficult situations to stay focused and find more flow.
I'll see you next time.
