How we see our inner critic is critical and it says a lot about what we choose to do with it. I know from my own experiences, I haven’t been blowing things out of proportion, however, there are times of self doubt. I’ve found that the best solution is as you put it, taking a deep breath, but also looking at what’s around you and asking what could change so one can grow better. It doesn’t need to be anything extreme, but even a small action like going for a walk can make a difference in moving past our inner critic.