Silencing your inner critic
Let’s start by taking a deep breath.
Now look around the space that you are in and name 5 things you can see (my dogs, a blue bean bag, my laptop, a yellow cushion, and a pipe lamp),
Now five things you can hear (the washing machine, my dog sighing, a tapping sound as I type, a whirring sound, my other dog snoring)
Stopping and bringing our attention to the present moment calms our nervous system down and enables the ‘thinking part of our brain’ to reconnect. Helping us to approach challenges and situations in a more calm, rational state.
Now bring your attention to your day.
What are you grateful for today? (My work colleagues)
What has challenged you today? (Thinking about what to write for this blog).
How often do you stop and reflect on your day?
When you do, is this followed by judgement, criticism, blame and even shame or can you just notice, reflect, and let it go?
Although I am not a parent myself (unless you count my dogs!), I have had the privilege of working with many parents over the years, and what strikes me the most is the blame, shame, and sense of failure so many of you hold. Driven from a place of wanting to do the best for your families and to feel loved, accepted, and OK.
So what if, just for today you silenced that inner critic? What if today you lived out these words:
‘I am fearfully and wonderfully made’ Psalm 139v14.
I am Loved.
Just for today, I pray you can reflect and let go.
When I was asked to write a blog for Kerith Families I really felt the most important message I could share was one of encouragement. I know that it is not always easy to silence our inner critics or even to find a moment to Stop and breathe. I also know that many of you reading this will be facing lots of different challenges within your families. Many of you might be desperately looking for support, seeking something to change. Through Create Hope we provide emotional support to families through play and creative therapy. Whether you have been affected by a traumatic life event such as domestic abuse, bereavement, addiction etc., or whether the cause of the emotional difficulty is unknown or something in between, we seek to support families needing help to understand, process and express their emotions. Don’t hesitate to contact us for support www.createhope.co.uk/contact-us
Catherine Hockley – CEO and Founder Create Hope
