Persistent negative or self-critical thoughts can be overwhelming and can aggravate a problem that you’re already struggling to deal with, such as anxiety or depression. That voice in your head telling you “you’re not good enough”, “you’ll make a fool of yourself”, “this is all your own fault” holds you back from taking actions that challenge these irrational thoughts. You’re so convinced things will go wrong that you don’t even attempt them – and this perceived ‘bottling out’ reinforces your sense of failure.