If you’ve long been listening to your perfectionist inner critic droning on, it’s going to take some time to shift your way of thinking. But to reassure you: it’s entirely possible. It’ll just take some practice – the more you dismiss that negative voice and welcome in the other, more positive thoughts, the easier it will become. Soon enough, it’ll be an automatic process.

“It’s unlikely that your inner critic will go away, but you can at least turn down the volume on it and allow yourself to hear from your other perspectives,” Hall notes. “The more we practise allowing alternative voices into our heads, the louder and more familiar they will become.

“Neuroscientists have now demonstrated that our brains really do change when we practise thinking differently. Some people choose to keep a journal of their inner voices – especially when changing a lifelong pattern of thinking. The key is to get really good at noticing – and listening to – the voices in your inner world and starting to offer yourself alternative perspectives. So try releasing yourself from the judgmental grip of your inner critic, and learn to listen to your kinder self.”

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