It can be very hard to ignore negative thoughts you might have, so Leide Porcu, PhD, LP, suggests acknowledging those criticisms and then dismissing them. "You can talk back to your internal negative voice or negative self-image even if you do not know where it comes from originally," Dr. Porcu told POPSUGAR. "Say to those negative thoughts, 'Thank you, but I want to go in another direction now and try something new.'"
Recognising those thoughts can help you move forward, as long as you don't dwell on them, Dr. Porcu explained. "Do not open that up and make a negative novel out if it. Let it pass by like a cloud in the sky."
Kevin Gilliland, PsyD, executive director of Innovation360, added that if you find yourself in a negative spiral, balance those critical thoughts with positive ones. "Make a deal with yourself: for every negative comment you make, there has to be a positive comment about something else you like about your body," Dr. Gilliland told POPSUGAR. "Do that for an hour and see if you start to hold both of those things better."