5 minutes of inner critic love

Dear readers,

Here’s a little something I did with the middle school students this week. I thought you might like it, too.

You can do this exercise as often as you want to. Also, you can take more time with any step if you would like to, but the idea here is that you don’t need a lot of time to have fun & decrease the self-doubt.

Love,
Rebecca

p.s.If you try this, let me know how it goes! And to read more about my work with the inner critic, go here.

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5 minute Inner Critic exercise
by Rebecca Kuder, M.F.A.

INTRO: What is the inner critic? (Because people sometimes ask.)

It’s fine—and sometimes helpful—to have the part of yourself who edits, who helps make sure you are safe. But we’re dealing with the part that isn’t helpful: that voice that gets in your way, or makes you feel small, or stuck, or makes you doubt yourself. Sometimes my inner critic tells me I’m not good enough. Or says, “Who do you think you are?”

Exercise:

1. Take a piece of paper. 30 seconds: Imagine the inner critic as a character. It could be a ball of cat hair, a building, a monster, whatever—take 30 seconds to draw a picture of the inner critic. Keep drawing for the entire time.

2. 30 seconds: (As you are able) Stand up, close your eyes, do a power pose—WONDER WOMAN is one option (feet shoulder width apart, hands on hips)

3. 4 minutes: Turn the page over: Write a letter: Dear Inner Critic…and keep writing for 4 minutes. You can say anything! You can use bad words! If you run out of things to say, write the words tick tick tick until you think of something else to say. You never have to show anyone this letter unless you want to. At the end, sign your name.