Why Self-Criticism Can Be Harmful

Negative stress doesn’t just affect how you feel—it actually changes how your brain and body function. When stress becomes constant, your nervous system stays stuck in a fight-or-flight state, making it harder to think clearly, regulate emotions, and recover properly. This can lead to brain fog, anxiety, irritability, and eventually burnout. Over time, your body adapts to this stress as its “normal,” keeping you in a cycle of tension and fatigue. Recovery is what breaks that cycle. When you allo