Sometimes called your inner critic, your inner a-hole is that voice in your head that tortures you all day long (and sometimes all night long) with negative thoughts, self-criticism, and worry. Often your inner a-hole will tell you catastrophic stories about an unknown future or remind you of your previous failings. Perhaps it takes on the voice of various authority figures past or present. You may even have a strong attachment to your inner a-hole because you believe that this hyper-critical voice is what made you successful in the past. But that was a lie. 

Your inner a-hole makes you believe that it’s torturing you to help you become a better person and achieve your goals, but it just doesn’t work like that. Instead, negative self-talk drains you of energy, increases your chronic stress, and leads to burnout. So let’s shut that inner a-hole up for good and learn a new kind of self-talk, shall we?