Being hard on yourself can ruin your mood, focus, and productivity if you let it. Luckily, shame and humiliation – two emotions that are common with self-criticism — are shown to only last between 30 to 50 minutes.
Being hard on yourself and having shaming thoughts can come from sources like your family, peers, educational institutions, culture, religion, work places, and other places as well. They can also be a result of being predisposed to certain mental conditions, as low self-esteem can be a sign of certain disorders.
Stay positive, take care of yourself, forget about being perfect, and always keep improving yourself. Express your anger in a creative way. Feel you anger, express it, and learn from it. Surround yourself with people who want you to succeed.
Being Hard on Yourself Has Negative Consequences
Self-criticism is such a common component of anxiety that it really could be listed as part of the criteria for generalized anxiety disorder.
Practice self-compassion.
Be kind to yourself as you navigate this process by using positive self-talk statements: “I'm doing the best I can.” “I can do this.” “I believe in myself.” Practice using curiosity to identify your self-talk and how the statements make you feel.
"Apathy, appetite changes, sleep disturbances, irritability, panic attacks and hopelessness can all be signs that you have pushed yourself too far and need a break," says Hudson. The body, when in a chronic fatigued state, can affect hormones, mood, brain health and mental sharpness and appetite regulation.
Causes of low self-esteem
Unhappy childhood where parents (or other significant people such as teachers) were extremely critical. Poor academic performance in school resulting in a lack of confidence. Ongoing stressful life event such as relationship breakdown or financial trouble.
“Self-critical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-critical.
Some people with low self-esteem stop looking after their appearance; others may over-compensate by always being perfectly groomed. You could also have problems with your body image, drink too much alcohol or take drugs and you might not stand up for yourself when you are bullied or abused.
When you try too hard, it shows and unfortunately it seems desperate. Trying too hard usually stems from a childhood where your efforts were either not rewarded or were not regarded as ever good enough, where you perceived yourself to be undervalued or unappreciated.
What is Low Self-Esteem. Low self-esteem is characterized by a lack of confidence and feeling badly about oneself. People with low self-esteem often feel unlovable, awkward, or incompetent.
Low self-esteem isn't a mental health problem in itself. But mental health and self-esteem can be closely linked. Some of the signs of low self-esteem can be signs of a mental health problem. This is especially if they last for a long time or affect your daily life.
Productivity experts tell us some signs of pushing ourselves too hard include not regularly taking time off work, staying connected at work rather than tuning into home life, and “seeing your value as a person completely defined by work.”
Many experts will say that if you are working to achieve a positive goal then you should push through the anxiety that comes up as you step outside the comfort zone. The idea being that if you push yourself through the anxiety you will get past it and achieve what you are wanting.
Signs You are Being Too Hard On Yourself
You give up on challenges quickly, fearing you won't be successful. You ruminate on failures long after they're over. Your self-talk consists of harsh criticism and generalizations. When situations don't go as planned, you blame yourself.
Anxiety is a common mental health condition. While it's unlikely that you will be able to completely eliminate your anxiety forever, you can treat its symptoms with help from a mental health professional as well as taking steps yourself.
Our fears and anxiety magnify because when we aren't staying busy and active, and when we aren't experiencing life outside of our environment. The feeling of fear, worry, and anxiety can feel overwhelming, and it takes its toll on us both mentally and physically, leaving us feeling as if we don't want to do anything.
Is overthinking a mental illness? No, overthinking isn't a recognized mental health condition, but it can be a symptom of depression or anxiety. Overthinking is commonly associated with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), says Duke. GAD is characterized by the tendency to worry excessively about several things.