negative self-talk

[Dalloway]

I wanted to ask, how do you guys manage the negative self-talk when it appears and is very strongly present? I am at this moment coping with this difficult situation: something (inner critic?) inside me keeps telling me that I'm pathetic because of the way I live vs the way I should be living by now as an adult. It also reminds me very often that I'm not enough and also my efforts are not enough. It's very hard to accept because it has a very negative effect on my mood and mental state. I tried to talk to myself and explain why is it happening to me and why do I feel the way I do but nothing seems to really work. Any advice or thing that anyone personally found to be useful would be very much appreciated. Thank you 

[SenseOrgan]

Hi Dalloway,

Your question is from a while ago. I hope it's no longer relevant. In the case it is, I can share what has helped for me. In my case it's more like a "feeling tone" rather than explicit inner chatter. We may be talking about the same thing. I'm not sure.

Connecting with a friend or interacting here is high up the list. Getting out of your own groove is hard to do on your own. Getting physically (very) active can sometimes get me out of a groove and create a little space, which I can build upon. One thing that fell into my lap is a side effect of being a little obsessive. I'm used to listening to audio books and podcast on a tiny mp3 player with ear buds. Many hours in a row are no exception. There was a time where I could barely tolerate being alone with my mind. This still happens from time to time. I began to notice that whatever was going on in my mind couldn't grab my attention so completely when I was listening to an interesting topic. Paying attention to what somebody is saying leaves less room to be hijacked by negative self referential thoughts. Listening to audio is quite demanding and attention grabbing. If the topic in the audio is constructive/uplifting itself, that becomes a double punch antidote. I have a large collection of audio books and podcasts that I sometimes view as a toolbox. I can inject the wisdom, goodness, and care of an endless amount of other people in my awareness this way. I stumbled on this positive side effect. It has gotten me through very dark periods.