Sometimes it is tricky to recognize my critical/harsh inner voice, but I’ve recognized a few words that act to signal that I may be have tainted the scenario with unhelpful emotions.

Critical signifiers:

even.

ex.: Am I even learning anything?

always.

ex. He always does this.

never.

ex. They never listen.

Recognizing and then rephrasing these sentences helps me work through the criticism and see the situation more clearly.