How to Tame the Critical Voice in Your Head at Work

We’ve all had times when our inner critic’s voice was loud and clear. Unfortunately, this negative inner voice can extend to the workplace, where professionals, from nurse managers to nursing students, can doubt their accomplishments.

Stress is nothing new for nurses. Even a healthy amount of stress is important to keep up with deadlines and growing workloads. However, too much stress can fuel the inner critic’s voice and lower self-esteem, eventually putting nurses at risk for depression or chronic anxiety.

Working from the noise of negative self-talk can be harmful to nurses who are already doing enough. If this sounds like you or a nurse you know, then there are steps you can take to reduce the volume of your inner critical voice and practice self-compassion with yourself.

How Imposter Syndrome Fuels the Inner Critic

Imposter syndrome happens when you start to doubt your abilities and cannot see that your hard-earned efforts have earned you success. It is usually exacerbated by major life factors such as a job change or promotion. Imposter syndrome may be higher in underrepresented groups such as women, ethnic communities, and the LGBTQ community.

Often, when imposter feelings creep in, negative self-talk increases to the point of fueling imposter syndrome, where it feels like self-doubt is your identity. Job challenges such as staff shortages and workplace disputes can also trigger harsh criticism and strengthen the critical inner voice.

Many nurses, especially high achievers, struggle with self-doubt about their skills at work. But dealing with a harsh voice that bullies you daily doesn’t have to be the norm. It’s important to develop strategies to keep that voice at bay so that you can do your work confidently instead of fear.

Write Down What Your Critical Voice is Saying

Have you ever noticed that when you try to ignore or distract the negative thoughts in your head, they tend to get stronger? Sometimes, you don’t realize how damaging your critical voice can be until you write out your thoughts and feelings churning in the background.

Journaling can be a powerful tool to release whatever voices are lurking in your head. If you don’t have a pen or paper handy, type in the thoughts that are bubbling up in your phone, or name them out loud when you have a moment to yourself. Doing this repeatedly can allow you to identify when those thoughts come up and what triggers the distorted thinking.

Talk to Yourself Using a Kinder Voice

When you do notice your inner bully berating you, talk to yourself in a compassionate way. Gently face the inner bully by taking a deep breath, centering yourself in the present moment, and thanking it for trying to look out for you.

You may not realize it, but our inner voices can come from teachers, parents, or authority figures who spoke to us in the same harsh way. Although this can be distressing, it’s also good to know that they might have had good intentions along the way. Speaking to yourself with a kinder, compassionate voice can also be almost life-changing.

Thank the inner voice for taking care of you all these years, then set a boundary with it so you can move on with your life.

Acknowledge How Far You’ve Come

Nursing has its fair share of workplace issues that can feed into anxiety when you least expect it. Fast-paced workloads can make it easy to forget that your nursing abilities are useful and still needed in the healthcare space today.

Know that your accomplishments and expertise learned are a result of your hard work, not luck. Self-compassion goes a long way to making the critical inner voice smaller so you can focus on your well-deserved achievements and the patients that bring you joy.

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Karie Pinnix

Karie Pinnix is a public relations strategist and freelance journalist with experience writing content for print and broadcast platforms and creating branding development with start-up companies. She’s written about topics like college nightlife, community organizations in Mississippi, and the nurse shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic. When she’s not working, you can find her exploring nature, catching up on reading, or traveling to the nearest beach.