Rewriting the Inner Dialogue — Stop Letting Stress Narrate Your Worth

Rewriting the Inner Dialogue — Stop Letting Stress Narrate Your Worth

Problem:
When things get stressful, your inner critic often grows louder. You may start believing that struggling at work means you're failing as a person.

Signs of Inner Stress Narratives:

• “I’ll never catch up.”

• “Everyone else handles this better.”

• “If I take a break, I’ll fall behind.”

These thoughts keep your nervous system in survival mode.

Solution:
Practice compassionate self-talk and reframing. This builds emotional resilience and self-worth, even in tough work seasons.

Cognitive Reframes to Practice:

• Swap “I’m behind” with “I’m prioritizing what matters.”

• Replace “This is too much” with “I’ll do one thing at a time.”

• Instead of “I can’t do this,” say “This is hard, and I’m learning.”

Journaling Prompt:
Write a conversation between you and your inner critic. Then rewrite the critic’s lines from the voice of a kind mentor or friend.

“You didn’t finish that project” → “You’ve made progress. Take the next small step.”