That voice in your head? The one that says, “Why did you say that? Everyone thinks you’re weird”? Yeah. That one. Meet your inner critic: part mean girl, part overprotective parent, part exhausted hall monitor.

Here’s the deal: your inner critic isn’t trying to ruin your life. It developed when you were younger as a defense mechanism. It just doesn’t know when to shut up now that you’re older and, presumably, able to wear real pants.

Try this: next time that voice pipes up, picture it as a little anxious cartoon version of yourself. Give it a hug. Say, “Thanks for trying to keep me safe, but I got this.” Or if you’re feeling spicy, put them in an imaginary timeout with some Goldfish crackers and a juice box.

Rewriting your inner voice takes time. But start by noticing it. Then slowly, kindly, replace it with the voice you’d use to comfort a friend. Because you deserve that too.

Journal Prompts:

• What does my inner critic often say to me?
• Where do I think that voice originated?
• What would a kinder voice sound like instead?

Visual Content Idea: Draw or visualize a split-screen cartoon: Left side is a grumpy “inner critic” figure. Right side shows that same character snuggled in a blanket eating snacks with a sign: “On break.”