Reflective Essay On Self-Criticism

The addictive habit that I abstained from for the past week was self-criticism. I focused on refraining from criticism during this week because it is something I do multiple times each day which I know is unhealthy. Downgrading myself is a daily occurrence because I feel as though I will never be presentable enough. It is part of my life to criticize m faults and shortcomings which puts a massive strain on my self-esteem, peace of mind, and relationships.
The coping skills I used were generic in the sense that I did the opposite of what my mind wanted to do. One coping skill I practiced was self-compassion, which meant I was practicing understanding and kindness towards myself while recognizing the negative thoughts creeping into my mind. Whenever I felt the tug to criticize myself, I …show more content…
I know that I should be seeking God daily, and not when I am in need, but some days I fail to do so, and this experiment has helped me reach out and become closer to God every day. It was such a relaxing experience to be able to understand when negative thoughts would creep into my mind and how I could benefit from them by recognizing how to improve myself compassionately. This experience enhanced the relationships in my life because I was able to be happy about my self-image and enjoy my life, instead of stopping to tell myself how awful I was doing. I realized by downgrading myself daily; it was affecting the happiness I was able to offer to the people around me which, in turn, was affecting their view towards my self-hate. Now, my relationships are much stronger and veered from self-love and happiness because I know that I can love myself through the love of others. Through this experience, I have been led towards prayer and shown that through it all, God will love me as his own and make sure I succeed in this life I was graciously