I don't like myself right now
Six reminders for your inner critic
BATHROOM - NIGHT
A small, dimly lit bathroom. The sink area is cluttered. A fairly routined exchange is taking place.
Logan: (angrily) You think anyone actually cares about your problems? Look at you. Pathetic.
Lo: Splashes water on their face, hands trembling.
Logan: You’re a mess. Always have been. You really think you can change that now?
Lo: Grabs a towel, roughly drying their face.
Logan: (scoffing) Who are you kidding? You can’t even get through a day without breaking down.
Lo: Stares intensely at their feet.
Logan: (voice breaking) No one wants you around.
Lo: Shoulders slump as they take a deep breath, trying to hold back tears.
Logan: You’re never going to be good enough. Never.
Lo: A tear escapes, rolling down their cheek. Wipes it away angrily.
Logan: (choking up) No one... no one can love someone like you.
Lo: Lowers their head, the weight of the words crushing their spirit.
Logan: (barely a whisper) You’re alone. Always alone.
Lo: Slowly looks up, their reflection mirroring their pain.
Logan: (sobbing softly) It’s just you. Only you… What kind of stupid childhood nickname is Lo anyways?
They places a hand on the mirror, touching their own reflection, the tears flowing freely now.
I've never met anyone who hasn't gone through a phase of not liking themselves. Unfortunately, for many, this becomes a permanent state.
I’ve also never met anyone who hasn’t said cruel things to themselves.
Why do we do this?!
We were taught to hate ourselves, or we saw self-hate modeled by others.
We don’t know ourselves very well, and it’s impossible to love or even like someone you don’t know.
We let our mistakes define who we are.
We're surrounded by people who tear us down, and we've started to internalize their negative narratives.
No. 1: You’re human. Remember? Stop expecting yourself to be perfect and stop punishing yourself when you’re not.
No. 2: You don’t need to compare yourself to others. Your worth comes from being you.
No. 3: Your inner critic is a bully. If you have a loud inner critic, ask yourself: Who’s voice do I hear when I am saying mean things to myself? Make sure you externalize this voice (don’t confuse it for the real you).
No. 4: There is no one else out there just like you. Your essence emerges from an intersection of time, context, and million daily decisions–never to be replicated again. Something so rare deserves to be taken care of.
No. 5: You don’t need to like yourself to be kind to yourself. Unless what you have to say is kind and helpful, don’t say it. If you say something mean, pause and reword it as if you were talking to your best friend.
No. 6: Your relationship with yourself will have highs and lows, just like any other relationship. Be intentional about spending time with yourself, being honest, resolving inner-tensions, and treating yourself with respect.
Reminder:
I’ve started a journalling challenge! To my paid subscribers, I send bi-monthly (twice a month) reflection questions to help them turn inward and connect with them Selves.
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If we don't value ourselves, others won't either. I used to be really harsh on myself before. I had so many expectations and so many deadlines. There was no room for flexibility in my life. But over time I realised that the only person losing something with that mindset was me. It's really tough to be kind to ourselves but we really need it. All of us do.
Sudden + visceral + gut-wrenching + overwhelmingly relatable...thank you for the pause + reflect moment of being human.