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The voice in your head may help you recall and process words. But what if you don’t have one?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/derek-arnold-106381">Derek Arnold</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p>Can you imagine hearing yourself speak? A voice inside your head – perhaps reciting a shopping list or a phone number? What would life be like if you couldn’t?</p> <p>Some people, including me, cannot have imagined visual experiences. We cannot close our eyes and conjure an experience of seeing a loved one’s face, or imagine our lounge room layout – to consider if a new piece of furniture might fit in it. This is called “<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-blind-and-deaf-mind-what-its-like-to-have-no-visual-imagination-or-inner-voice-226134">aphantasia</a>”, from a Greek phrase where the “a” means without, and “phantasia” refers to an image. Colloquially, people like myself are often referred to as having a “blind mind”.</p> <p>While most attention has been given to the inability to have imagined visual sensations, aphantasics can lack other imagined experiences. We might be unable to experience imagined tastes or smells. Some people cannot imagine hearing themselves speak.</p> <p>A <a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/we-used-to-think-everybody-heard-a-voice-inside-their-heads-but-we-were-wrong">recent study</a> has advanced our understanding of people who cannot imagine hearing their own internal monologue. Importantly, the authors have identified some tasks that such people are more likely to find challenging.</p> <h2>What the study found</h2> <p>Researchers at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09567976241243004">recruited 93 volunteers</a>. They included 46 adults who reported low levels of inner speech and 47 who reported high levels.</p> <p>Both groups were given challenging tasks: judging if the names of objects they had seen would rhyme and recalling words. The group without an inner monologue performed worse. But differences disappeared when everyone could say words aloud.</p> <p>Importantly, people who reported less inner speech were not worse at all tasks. They could recall similar numbers of words when the words had a different appearance to one another. This negates any suggestion that aphants (people with aphantasia) simply weren’t trying or were less capable.</p> <h2>A welcome validation</h2> <p>The study provides some welcome evidence for the lived experiences of some aphants, who are still often told their experiences are not different, but rather that they cannot describe their imagined experiences. Some people feel anxiety when they realise other people can have imagined experiences that they cannot. These feelings may be deepened when others assert they are merely confused or inarticulate.</p> <p>In my own <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1374349/full">aphantasia research</a> I have often quizzed crowds of people on their capacity to have imagined experiences.</p> <p>Questions about the capacity to have imagined visual or audio sensations tend to be excitedly endorsed by a vast majority, but questions about imagined experiences of taste or smell seem to cause more confusion. Some people are adamant they can do this, including a colleague who says he can imagine what combinations of ingredients will taste like when cooked together. But other responses suggest subtypes of aphantasia may prove to be more common than we realise.</p> <p>The authors of the recent study suggest the inability to imagine hearing yourself speak should be referred to as “anendophasia”, meaning without inner speech. Other authors had suggested <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8551557/">anauralia</a> (meaning without auditory imagery). Still other researchers have referred to all types of imagined sensation as being different types of “imagery”.</p> <p>Having <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010945222000417">consistent names</a> is important. It can help scientists “talk” to one another to compare findings. If different authors use different names, important evidence can be missed.</p> <h2>We have more than 5 senses</h2> <p>Debate continues about how many senses humans have, but some scientists reasonably argue for a <a href="https://www.sensorytrust.org.uk/blog/how-many-senses-do-we-have#:%7E:text=Because%20there%20is%20some%20overlap,sensation%20of%20hunger%20or%20thirst.">number greater than 20</a>.</p> <p>In addition to the five senses of sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing, lesser known senses include thermoception (our sense of heat) and proprioception (awareness of the positions of our body parts). Thanks to proprioception, most of us can close our eyes and touch the tip of our index finger to our nose. Thanks to our vestibular sense, we typically have a good idea of which way is up and can maintain balance.</p> <p>It may be tempting to give a new name to each inability to have a given type of imagined sensation. But this could lead to confusion. Another approach would be to adapt phrases that are already widely used. People who are unable to have imagined sensations commonly refer to ourselves as “aphants”. This could be adapted with a prefix, such as “audio aphant”. Time will tell which approach is adopted by most researchers.</p> <h2>Why we should keep investigating</h2> <p>Regardless of the names we use, the study of multiple types of inability to have an imagined sensation is important. These investigations could reveal the essential processes in human brains that bring about a conscious experience of an imagined sensation.</p> <p>In time, this will not only lead to a better understanding of the diversity of humans, but may help uncover how human brains can create any conscious sensation. This question – how and where our conscious feelings are generated – remains one of the great mysteries of science.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/230973/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/derek-arnold-106381">Derek Arnold</a>, Professor, School of Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-voice-in-your-head-may-help-you-recall-and-process-words-but-what-if-you-dont-have-one-230973">original article</a>.</em></p>

Mind

Everything you’ve always wanted to know about the inner workings of your cruise ship

<p dir="ltr">When it comes to life on board a cruise ship, travellers will usually look for features like great food options, fun shows, activities to keep busy, and a comfortable bed.</p> <p dir="ltr">What many don’t think about, however, is the thought and precision that goes into building and designing a cruise ship. </p> <p dir="ltr">Charlie, a cruise ship designer from Florida, has worked in the industry for over a decade and had a hand in helping put together the design for two huge cruise ships.</p> <p dir="ltr">Charlie said that the main mission is to make guests feel comfortable and safe by any means necessary. </p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to <a href="https://travel.nine.com.au/cruising/cruise-ship-designer-what-travellers-should-know-exclusive/b1c6f650-cb17-408d-9b91-9c67282c54b5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9Honey Travel</a>, Charlie said, "If you notice things, we're not doing our job correctly."</p> <p dir="ltr">"Our job is to make you feel at ease with the space."</p> <p dir="ltr">A cruise ship takes several years to design, with a lot of planning, care and thought going into the most intricate details. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Cruise ships are so large scale and that even though a lot of the designs are replicated from each room or ship, you have to ensure that the design fits each area and it's not just copy paste."</p> <p dir="ltr">There are four main things Charlie says to keep an eye out for on your next cruising adventure, which make all the difference to your journey.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Safety first</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Above all else on a cruise ship, the safety of the passengers and the crew must come first. </p> <p dir="ltr">Aside from the practical elements such as bullet-proof glass and lounges that have the potential to turn into flotation devices, there are psychological considerations as well.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Everything when it comes to cruise ship design comes from a safety standpoint, and how you make sure guests feel safe at all times," Charlie says.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Like the fact there's handrails almost everywhere you look. Down to whether the height of a table will be at a height where if you need to lean down, it's probably a little bit taller than the average table, just so that you have something to grab onto."</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Nothing moves unless it’s supposed to</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Due to the constant movement on a cruise ship, everything onboard the vessel must be secured, which can make design aspects difficult. </p> <p dir="ltr">"You have to keep in mind how things function within a space. So if you go to a restaurant, you can't join tables, or move tables because they're literally secured to the floor.</p> <p dir="ltr">"And it's one of those things where it actually becomes very difficult in planning. The lighting plan, for example, also has to incorporate that because the lights overhead can't move. So your interior designers and your lighting designers have to be working together probably at least three to four years before you would actually install any of those."</p> <p dir="ltr">So you're less likely to see things like pendant lights, unless they are on a rod fixed to the ceiling.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You don't want to have that ability to see something in motion, because then that gives you the idea that you aren't safe," Charlie adds.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Quick repairs are a rarity </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Charlie shared that longevity needs to be considered when designing a cruise ship, as repairs can often take a long time to complete. </p> <p dir="ltr">"What's the lifespan and what's the duration of time it would take for someone to repair it. And are you able to store that stuff on a ship?</p> <p dir="ltr">"Nothing is off the shelf. Nothing is just 'oh, I can go to the store and get that'. A manufacturer would produce that specifically for them. So if something does break, getting it replaced is going to be a lot more difficult.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Long hallways are a big no</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">"Guest flow and how people move through a space is very key," Charlie points out.</p> <p dir="ltr">"In most modern day ships, you wouldn't directly have a linear path except down your guest room hallway. Nowadays, you'd have little jogs (or alcoves) so that you can't just see all the way to the end of a floor.”</p> <p dir="ltr">And the reasoning for this design choice is two-fold.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Being able to have an end point or something to focus on helps to establish equilibrium. You have something to focus on if the ship starts to move a little bit," he explains.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Cruising

Using valuable inner-city land for car parking? In a housing crisis, that just doesn’t add up

<p>When I first moved to New Zealand – even after living in some of the highest-priced US property markets – I was taken aback by house prices. My shock was reinforced by the condition of the houses, many of which lack sufficient insulation, adequate heating or cooling, or double-glazed windows.</p> <p>I wondered why I’d pay so much for a house that needed so much attention. Then I overheard someone quip, “In New Zealand, you pay for the land and the house comes for free.” Suddenly things made a lot more sense.</p> <p>Unlike in the US, where land is valued at a small fraction of the “improvements” (the building that stands on the section), in New Zealand it’s the exact opposite.</p> <p>But it also raised a big question: in a country where the cost of land is so exorbitantly high and the supply of housing so scarce, how could so many surface car parks exist?</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/423711/original/file-20210929-20-1wzh8e5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /> <span class="caption">Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter: apartments, restaurants, playgrounds – and car parks.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></p> <h2>The price of parking</h2> <p>Take Auckland, for example, arguably the most housing-constrained market in New Zealand. Specifically, the still developing Wynyard Quarter on the downtown waterfront presents a clear case of car parking over potential housing.</p> <p>One of the several abundant surface car parks is located on Jellicoe Street. It encompasses 8,146 square metres of tar, paint and parked cars. The massive lot has a NZ$37,000,000 <a href="https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/property-rates-valuations/Pages/rates-details-results.aspx?an=12343250744">valuation</a>, with the improvements valued at $1,000,000 — presumably all that pavement and paint.</p> <p>The next part is a bit more difficult to swallow. The land is valued at just over $4,500 per square metre. With the average parking spot occupying 15 square metres, that means each spot is worth about $68,000.</p> <p>That’s just for the parking spots themselves, not all the land required for people to drive in and out and around the car park.</p> <p> </p> <h2>What parking earns</h2> <p>Now things get interesting. The Jellicoe Street car park is maintained by Auckland Transport which provides people who drive to the CBD the courtesy of a free initial hour of parking followed by a rate of $6 per hour.</p> <p>So for just $18 drivers can park for four hours. On the weekend those four hours of parking will cost a mere $6.</p> <p>Assuming a parking space is fully occupied during all operating hours (from 7am to 10pm Monday to Sunday), it could optimistically take in $480. Extended over an entire year, a single space might earn just under $25,000.</p> <p>Ignoring overhead costs and more realistic occupancy rates, it would take almost three years for a single open-air parking space to earn back the cost of the land it sits on. Perhaps this sounds economically viable. But what isn’t in this equation is the actual, very high cost of cheap and plentiful parking.</p> <h2>Parking expectations</h2> <p>The widespread availability of low-priced parking in high-demand locations has significant impacts on our cities. When people expect parking to be available in these locations, they often choose to drive rather than use a more sustainable mode such as public transport. This means people buy more cars and take more trips by personal vehicle.</p> <p>When cheap parking spots fill up during peak hours, people tend to <a href="https://www.oecd.org/officialdocuments/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/?cote=ENV/WKP(2019)4&docLanguage=En">cruise for a parking space</a> rather than search out slightly more expensive and less convenient alternative locations. That is, they circle a car park or a city block until someone else leaves. When enough drivers do this it <a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/money/19-04-2021/its-car-vs-car-on-the-central-auckland-street-where-parking-is-free/">creates more</a> congestion, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.</p> <p>The long-term availability of cheap urban parking also implies that parking in such locations is a public good. People expect parking to always be in these places and will fight to keep the land from being used for higher and better purposes.</p> <p>This is where the rubber hits the road. Open-air parking is the least productive use of important urban land. In the midst of the greatest <a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2021/02/housing-crisis-auckland-housing-affordability-among-fastest-deteriorating-in-the-world-report.html">housing affordability crisis</a> in perhaps a generation, we could stand to lose some of this car space in favour of apartments.</p> <h2>People before parking</h2> <p>According to the <a href="http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/documents/central/pdfs/appendix12.pdf">Auckland District Plan</a>, a one bedroom/one bathroom apartment should occupy about 45 square metres — precisely three parking spaces.</p> <p>The good thing about an apartment building compared to an open-air car park is that we can build it up. Instead of some 200 spots for cars, we can build more than 600 apartments across ten storeys.</p> <p>Rather than storing a couple of hundred cars for part of the day, with bare pavements overnight, we could provide living space for up to 1,200 people around the clock.</p> <p>We could do the same thing with the car park across the street and the one a block over and so on — until we are a city and a country that focuses more on housing people than parking cars.</p> <p>It will be hard to let go of the car parks. Where some see an <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-council-plans-to-sell-downtown-carpark-with-new-skyscraper-likely-instead/SGE2OD2KCB3AOY33WKYXSAJJPM/">opportunity for urban regeneration</a> through the development of under-utilised space, others see the loss of car parking as another <a href="https://www.autocar.co.nz/autocar-news-app/life-s-about-to-get-tougher-for-auckland-cbd-workers-with-cars">impediment</a> for city workers to overcome.</p> <p>But we simply have too much space in our cities dedicated to the car. Our land is far too valuable to pave over. It’s time to use a fraction of that space to house many people instead of a few machines.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/168745/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/timothy-welch-1252494">Timothy Welch</a>, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-auckland-1305">University of Auckland</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/using-valuable-inner-city-land-for-car-parking-in-a-housing-crisis-that-just-doesnt-add-up-168745">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Real Estate

Mind games: How to silence your inner critic

<p>We all have an ‘inner critic’ who second-guesses our choices, and lobs insults about our perceived shortcomings.<br /><br />The good news is the more we recognise this internal enemy, the easier it will be to shut him or her up, so we can be our best selves.<br /><br />To become more aware of your negative thoughts or critical inner voice, follow these steps.</p> <div id="section"></div> <div class="view view-article-slider view-id-article_slider view-display-id-article_slider_block view-dom-id-5df8456ff79250452678b5618a27cad2"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>Pay attention next time a bad mood hits</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Ask yourself what you were thinking about yourself at the time your mood shifted. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>Recognise situations that set off your negative thinking</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Such as a phone call from your dad or a friend sharing good news.</p> <p>Become aware that you have turned against yourself.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>Notice the occasions when your mind takes over</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Pay attention to when you are thinking people don’t like you and examine the thoughts you imagine they’re having about you.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>Be alert to any cynical thoughts towards other people</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>They may be valuable clues as to how you attack yourself.</p> <p>Once you become aware of these specific thoughts, consider what prompted them in the first place.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>Think about what or whom these voices sound like</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>To understand where your negative thoughts come from.</p> <p>People tend to find important connections between their voice and someone significant from their past.</p> <p>Once you have done this, you can begin to identify where your voice started and separate it from your own point of view.</p> <p>The next step is to change your thoughts with the following actions.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>Challenge your critical inner voice</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>The most important step to silencing it is to respond to it from a realistic and compassionate perspective. Say aloud or write down a more congenial, honest response to each of your put downs. </p> <p>Use 'I' statements.</p> <p>“I am a worthy person with many good qualities and have a lot to offer."</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>Connect your voice to your actions</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Your critical inner voice has plenty of bad advice.</p> <p>"Don't say anything. No-one wants to ear what you have to say."</p> <p>As you learn to recognise your critical inner voice, you can start to catch on when it's starting to influence your behaviour. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>Change your behaviour</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Once you see how the critical inner voice influences your behaviour, start to consciously act against it.</p> <p>The process of ‘not listening’ to your inner critic and strengthening your own point of view can be uplifting, but it can also cause anxiety.</p> <p>The more you oppose the voice, the weaker it will become.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-slides"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final"> <div class="entity entity-field-collection-item field-collection-item-field-slides clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-title field-type-text field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"><strong>Reflect on your negative thoughts</strong></div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-slide-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item even"> <p>Determine if there is any truth to them. It's important to recognise that even though there may be a kernel of truth to them.</p> <p>It's important to recognise that even though there may be a kernel of truth in a specific critical voice , nothing can be gained by attacking yourself.</p> <p>This not only fails to change a behaviour you may dislike in yourself, it also makes you feel bad, which increases the likelihood that the behaviour will recur.</p> <p>The best strategy is to take an objective and compassionate look at any negative behaviour or traits you have and work at changing them.</p> <p>To a large extent, you have the power to re-create yourself to become a person you like and admire. </p> <p>There is always anxiety as people grow, but it is worthwhile to struggle through it to come out the other end.</p> <p><em>Written by <span>Dr Robert W. Firestone</span>. This article first appeared in </em><span><em><a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/conditions/mental-health/mind-games-how-silence-your-inner-critic">Reader’s Digest</a></em></span><em>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </em><span><em><a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN87V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></em></span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

Mind

4 ways to silence your inner critic

<p>I really should start exercising more. I wish my thighs weren’t so wobbly. I wish I had a bigger house like my brother.</p> <p>If thoughts like this swirl around your head, you’re not alone. But this negative chatter can have a detrimental effect on your well-being.</p> <p>If you’re ready to stop beating yourself up, read on to discover how our tips can help. </p> <p><strong>1. Make a list</strong></p> <p>If the idea of a gratitude journal makes your stomach turn, why not try this instead. Simply make a list of all the good things about you. Perhaps you have nice ankles, are good with crosswords, have a new pair of shoes to wear this weekend, or maybe you have the best curry recipe to try out for your next dinner party. Making a list of positive things is a great way to drown out the voice in your head that tries to tell you that you don’t look right/feel right/do the right things.</p> <p><strong>2. Try positive self-talk</strong></p> <p>It’s so easy to drift into the negative, but this can pull us down into a bad mood that has a knock on effect for the rest of the day. The same can be said for adopting positive self-talk. After brushing your teeth, try staring in the mirror and saying something life affirming such as ‘you are very good at your job’ or ‘you have a strong body that can do anything’ – you might be surprised by how much this gives you a lift.</p> <p><strong>3. Turn the criticism into action</strong></p> <p>Instead of lamenting on the size of your behind, why not try taking steps to make a positive change. For instance you could make a list of the things you aren’t happy with and then come up with an actionable to-do list. Start walking to the shops instead of driving. Start putting $20 a week into a high interest account. This will help you shut down the inner critic, because you know you are doing something to change things for the better.</p> <p><strong>4. Talk back as a friend</strong></p> <p>Think about what you would say to a friend who was saying these negative things about themselves. If you best pal complained about their waist size, you might say something like ‘well you have grown three children in there, and they are pretty wonderful.’ Or if they were telling you that they are hopeless with keeping the house in order, you might remind them how they helped their partner with their business, or even tell them that there’s more to life than a tidy kitchen.</p> <p>Have you got rid of any negative thoughts by employing these tips? We would love to hear your story in the comments.</p>

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4 ways to silence your inner critic