The Inner Critic Spiral
Learn how the inner critic forms and how to soften it.
When Self-Talk Becomes Surveillance
When self-talk becomes surveillance, awareness tightens.
Thoughts scan behavior, posture, words, searching for missteps.
The internal camera rarely turns off.
This pattern is not attention, but vigilance turned inward.
Seeing it reduces its authority.
Identify self-surveillance with DojoWell.
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Articles exploring the psychology behind these patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I feel like I'm constantly monitoring my own thoughts and actions?
This is "Self-Talk as Surveillance." It happens when your Status & Control system begins to treat your own mind as an environment that needs to be "policed." Recognizing this as "monitoring" rather than "thinking" is essential for nervous system rest. Constant surveillance keeps you in a state of Threat-vigilance, preventing the deep relaxation required for the human integrator to finish its work.
How do I switch off this internal monitoring?
You can't switch it off directly, but you can "withdraw your attention" from it. Practice being "unobserved" for short periods. Tell yourself, "For the next five minutes, the monitor is off-duty." Even if the thoughts continue, you stop using them as a yardstick. This "structural permission" to be unmonitored allows the Threat system to de-activate, moving you from a state of "policed existence" into a state of "free presence."