Be Kind to Your Mind
I was reminded recently how important it is to guard your mind. I'd met a friend for dinner on Saturday evening and saw how much she was ruminating on an outcome - blaming herself repeatedly for what had happened that week. It was something I'd literally just been doing right before we met and I had a flash at how damaging it was being a witness to it from another side.
I gave her the space to share and to get it out and then proceeded to give her different perspectives to help diffuse her mind. I share in this video some of the tools that are most effective for me. The essential part is practicing some self-compassion, by reminding yourself that you are not your thoughts. Personally, I lean heavily on journaling and other forms of writing. Somehow when words are on a page, they show up less harmful than when they're ricocheting around in my head.
This kind of hyper-self-critical thinking has been learned at some point in your life; someone likely indicated that you were not good enough, smart enough or not...fill in the blank. And let me say that I'm so sorry you had to deal with or hear that. Those are really painful things to hear at any point in life and hard things to let go of. Trust me, I deal with them too and it's hard to just bypass all of what's stuck in your body.
There are ways through, though. That kind of thinking was learned, and so too can you learn how to hold more compassion for yourself.
To love yourself unconditionally, and to say to yourself that you'll be ok even when things feel shaky. I'd bet you'd never be as harsh to another, as you are to yourself. So please extend some of that kindness to yourself: Be kind to your mind.