What Are Metacognitions?

Metacognition is essentially thinking about your thinking. Psychologists define it as the ability to reflect on, evaluate, and regulate your own thoughts. It allows us to monitor how we think, recognise patterns, and make adjustments when necessary.

For example, you might notice a thought like “I’m late again” and then reflect, “Maybe I need to adjust my morning routine” or “Am I overreacting?” These reflections on thoughts themselves are metacognitions in action.

Metacognition has two key components:

1. Metacognitive Knowledge: Understanding your own thinking, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and recognising strategies that work best for you. For instance, knowing that you tend to feel stressed when you procrastinate or recognising that writing a to-do list helps you stay on track.

2. Metacognitive Regulation: Actively using that metacognitive knowledge to monitor, control, and adjust your thoughts or behaviour. For instance, if you know that lack of sleep affects your focus, you might plan to go to bed earlier or set reminders for yourself.

In short, metacognition allows us to understand ourselves, manage our thinking, and improve decision-making - skills that are useful for teenagers and adults alike.

How Metacognition Develops Over Time

Metacognitive skills develop gradually, starting in early childhood and continuing into adulthood:

• Early Childhood (2–5 years): Young children begin noticing their own thoughts. For example, a child might realise a favourite toy is missing and try to recall where they last saw it. This early awareness marks the first signs of metacognition.

• Middle Childhood (6–10 years): Children develop strategies to solve problems and reflect on their mistakes. For example, a child tackling a challenging puzzle might ask themselves, “Did I try this step already?” or “Could there be a simpler way?”

• Early Adolescence (11–14 years): Teenagers refine their thinking and start evaluating their strengths and weaknesses. They learn to adjust behaviour in response to feedback, such as improving study habits after receiving grades or reflecting on social interactions.

• Late Adolescence (15–18 years) and Beyond: By late teens and into adulthood, metacognition becomes more sophisticated. People begin questioning their long-term goals, values, and decision-making. They might ask themselves, “Why do I react this way in conflicts?” or “Does this choice align with my personal goals?” To learn more about this critical developmental stage, click here.

Metacognition development is influenced by multiple factors, including childhood experiences, personality traits, educational settings, social relationships, and cultural values. These influences shape how we talk to ourselves, whether with a supportive inner voice or a critical one.

The Inner Critic vs. the Inner Coach

One of the most powerful ways metacognition shows up in our daily lives is through our self-talk, which can be simply divided into two internal voices:

• The Inner Critic: This is the judgmental, self-critical voice many people experience. It often reflects internalised beliefs or past experiences. Left unchecked, the inner critic can contribute to low self-esteem, anxiety, perfectionism, and self-doubt.

  Symptoms of excessive inner critic influence may include:

  • Constantly comparing yourself to others

  • Feeling guilty or ashamed over small mistakes

  • Avoiding challenges due to fear of failure

  • Increasing social withdrawal or irritability

• The Inner Coach: In contrast, the inner coach is a supportive, encouraging voice. It motivates you to try new things, recognise strengths, and learn from setbacks. A strong inner coach can improve resilience, self-compassion, and confidence, helping you navigate both personal and professional challenges.

Both voices coexist in everyone, but the balance between them often reflects upbringing, life experiences, and personal habits. The goal isn’t to eliminate the inner critic completely, but to manage it and strengthen the inner coach.

Cognitive Distortions: The Inner Critic’s Tools

Cognitive distortions are patterns of thinking that skew reality and fuel negative self-talk. They can range from mild to severe in impact.

Some common examples include:

1. Catastrophising: Expecting the worst possible outcome, even when unlikely.

2. All-or-Nothing Thinking: Seeing things in extremes, such as believing you’re a complete success or total failure.

3. Personalisation: Believing you are responsible for events outside your control, like taking a friend’s bad mood personally.

4. Emotional Reasoning: Assuming that feelings reflect reality, e.g., “I feel anxious, so something bad must be about to happen.”

Symptoms of excessive cognitive distortions can appear gradually, such as self-doubt, overthinking, or irritability, or more severely, with persistent anxiety, low mood, withdrawal from social life, or difficulties functioning at work or school.

How Therapists Can Help

When these patterns start to impact daily life, counselling therapists such as Edward use evidence-based techniques to help clients challenge them. One widely used approach is Socratic questioning, a method that encourages individuals to examine assumptions and consider alternative perspectives.

For instance, someone thinking “I’ll fail at my new job because I made a small mistake” might be guided to reflect:

• “Is this really true? What evidence supports this thought?”

• “What are some strengths that we can focus on?”

Another technique is thought tracking, where individuals record recurring negative thoughts to recognise patterns and identify specific distortions. Both techniques help shift the balance from an overpowering inner critic to a stronger, more supportive inner coach.

When to Reach Out for Help

It’s normal to have an inner critic or occasional negative thoughts, but it may be time to seek support if you notice:

• Experiencing excessive intrusive thoughts or flashbacks

• Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or remembering things

• Increased irritability, withdrawing socially, or feeling irritated with others easily

• Excessive self-criticism or inability to celebrate achievements

• Avoidance of challenges or even everyday tasks

If any of these signs sound familiar for yourself or a young person in your life, reaching out to a trained counsellor or therapist can help provide guidance, tools, and support to regain balance and strengthen self-confidence.

Therapy can provide a safe space to explore your thoughts, manage negative self-talk, and nurture a stronger inner coach. Explore our counselling services for young people and adults at Still Ocean Therapy to learn more.