{"id":29299,"date":"2025-09-17T15:44:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T07:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/?post_type=oasis-news&p=29299"},"modified":"2025-09-17T15:44:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T07:44:19","slug":"befriending-your-inner-critic-turning-self-doubt-into-support","status":"publish","type":"oasis-news","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/oasis-news\/befriending-your-inner-critic-turning-self-doubt-into-support\/","title":{"rendered":"Befriending your inner critic: Turning self-doubt into support"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Reading time: 3 minutes<\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

You know that little voice in your head that says things like \u201cYou\u2019re not working hard enough\u201d<\/em> or \u201cYou\u2019re going to mess this up\u201d<\/em>? That voice is often referred to as your inner critic<\/strong>. Psychologists sometimes call it the Checker system<\/em>\u2014a survival mechanism built into our brains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Checker within us has three main functions \u2013 it s<\/strong>cans our environment, a<\/strong>lerts us to danger, and then m<\/strong>otivates us to get to safety – hence its nickname ‘SAM’. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SAM has been with us since ancient times. Back when our ancestors lived in caves, SAM\u2019s job was to keep us alive. If SAM saw a predator lurking in the bushes, it would flood the brain with fear, push the body into alert mode and encourage escape. In that context, SAM was a lifesaver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward to life as a uni student in 2025. No lions are waiting outside the library, but SAM hasn\u2019t quite updated its software. Instead, it sees looming assignment deadlines, presentations and competitive job markets as life-or-death situations. Add in social media, financial stress and the constant pressure to do more<\/em>, and SAM can end up sounding like a relentless drill sergeant yelling \u201cwork harder\u201d or \u201cyou\u2019re falling behind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem isn\u2019t that SAM exists\u2014it\u2019s that in our high-pressure world, SAM is in overdrive. When every group project, test or even unread email feels like a code red, our inner critic becomes less of a helpful guide and more of a bully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how do you deal with SAM without letting it control you? The trick isn\u2019t to silence or fight it, but to befriend it<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Recognise SAM\u2019s role<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Start by noticing when SAM shows up. Is it during late-night study sessions? Before walking into an exam? When scrolling LinkedIn and comparing yourself to others? Recognising that voice as SAM\u2014not the absolute truth\u2014helps you separate your identity from your inner critic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2: Decode the message<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Even when SAM sounds harsh, it usually has a hidden purpose: to keep you safe. For example, when it says \u201cYou\u2019re going to fail this assignment,\u201d<\/em> what it might really mean is \u201cI\u2019m worried you\u2019ll be embarrassed, and I want you to prepare.\u201d<\/em> By decoding SAM\u2019s warnings, you can respond with action instead of spiralling into self-doubt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 3: Respond with kindness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rather than arguing with SAM or letting it boss you around, try speaking back with compassion. If SAM says, \u201cYou\u2019re lazy,\u201d<\/em> you might reply, \u201cI hear you. I\u2019m tired right now, but resting will help me recharge so I can focus later.\u201d<\/em> This reframes the criticism into something constructive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 4: Build healthy habits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

SAM is calmer when you\u2019re well-rested, nourished and balanced. Exercise, sleep and downtime aren\u2019t luxuries\u2014they\u2019re part of keeping your inner critic from spiralling into panic. Think of these habits as ways of reassuring SAM that you\u2019re safe and in control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At university, it\u2019s easy to believe success comes from constant hustle, but the truth is that sustainable success comes from balance. SAM isn\u2019t your enemy\u2014it\u2019s an ancient part of you trying (sometimes clumsily) to help. By learning to listen, interpret and gently guide your inner critic, you can transform it from a harsh voice into an unlikely ally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You know that little voice in your head that says things like \u201cYou\u2019re not working hard enough\u201d or \u201cYou\u2019re going to mess this up\u201d? That voice is often referred to as your inner critic. Here’s how you can befriend it. | Reading time: 3 mins<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4418,"featured_media":27030,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"4993,5018,7002,4558,8554,6906","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","wds_primary_oasis-categories":0,"footnotes":""},"oasis-categories":[146,149],"class_list":["post-29299","oasis-news","type-oasis-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","oasis-categories-student-life","oasis-categories-wellbeing"],"acf":{"post_options":{"":null,"banner":{"image":false}}},"featured_image":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Curtin-Online-Students-34-1000x500.jpg","author_meta":{"first_name":"Rachelle","last_name":"Erzay","display_name":"Rachelle Erzay"},"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-22 05:21:49","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"oasis-categories","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-news\/29299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/oasis-news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4418"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-news\/29299\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"oasis-categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oasis-categories?post=29299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}