Happy Meditator - Practical Mindfulness and Meditation16 Jun 2020

How to stop self-criticism with a breathing meditation

Most of my life, I listened to my self-criticism. It got me into unhealthy habits and guilt. The more attention I paid to it, the more unhappy I felt about myself.

When we feel stressed and turn into self-criticism, our natural tendency is to turn into a distraction. Feeling down is not fun, and we quickly want to make ourselves feel better. The most common strategy is to find something that feels rewarding.

The American psychology association found that the most common strategies that we use are: Eat, drink alcohol, shopping, watch TV, surf the web, social media, or play video games.

Sadly, only 16% of these strategies reduce stress.

How can we change from self- criticism to a more balanced and positive state of mind?

Find stress relief strategies that are proven to work. One proven approach is to connect with your heart. Literally, you connect with your heartbeat, and this will reduce your stress and negativity.

Start with a comfortable position and place your hand in your heart.
Find your heartbeat on your chest or your wrist.
Move your attention to your breath.
Slow your breath and extend your exhalation. Let all the air out in your exhale and gently inhale.

This technique adjusts your heart rate into a more rhythmic pace, creating a better heart rate variability.

Doing this simple strategy will create changes in your circulation system and your brain. It will move your mind from self-criticism to a more balanced and positive state of mind. The more you practice this technique, the more your nervous system will keep reducing stress.

One quote If you listen to your self-criticism, you are giving a bully control of your thoughts and your actions. Stop drowning on negativity. Instead, allow yourself to be human and imperfect.
Tamy Khan
One question

What is your coping strategy when you turn self-critical?

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