We all have those negative inner voices, our ‘gremlins’ or ‘saboteurs’, which can hold us back from what we truly want and leave us feeling stressed or anxious. It’s a normal part of being a human being, a function of our brains and the primal part of them that tries to keep us safe by keeping us small.
I have a tendency to imagine the very worst things that can happen - which is, unsurprisingly, in overdrive with everything that's going on in the world right now! Being vigilant is no bad thing, but when it tips into hyper-vigilance it can cause unnecessary stress and worry, about imagined negative outcomes that may never happen - from forgetting my words in a talk, to full-on nuclear apocalypse...
Another common way I self-sabotage, as for so many people, is to be too harsh a self-critic, judging myself unfairly and beating myself up if I get things wrong - making self-love very much conditional on "success".
Having these saboteur voices continually nattering on in the background of our minds is exhausting, and can also mean a reluctance to take risks or 'put ourselves out there' for the fear of messing up.
Training in mental fitness with Positive Intelligence, and, since 2021, leading groups through the programme myself, I've learned to become much more aware of these internal "saboteurs".
The process of first recognising and naming these inner voices, then intercepting them and - ultimately - choosing a different, wiser, more positive response is one that needs sustained practice in order to create and deepen new mental habits.
Despite by no means being ‘black-belt’ yet in mental fitness, I’m loving the impact it's making - both for me and those I'm guiding through the programme - on our sense of inner peace and wellbeing, and resilience to deal with life's challenges.
If you're interested in finding out more about the ways you may self-sabotage, check out the free assessment by Positive Intelligence, and get in touch if you'd like to hear more about the course I offer.