Lead With Love by changing how you speak to yourself.
Whose Voice Is That?
Most of us have an inner voice that speaks when we’re tired, behind, or not “enough.”
Sometimes it sounds like us.
But often, it’s an echo of someone else:
A teacher. A parent. A culture. A wound.
This is the inner critic—a voice shaped by the emotional environments we adapted to.
🧠 What the Science Says:
🧠 Self-critical thinking activates the brain’s threat system, increasing stress and anxiety.
Kim et al., 2021. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.
🧠 In contrast, self-compassion activates neural pathways linked to safety and emotional regulation—especially in the prefrontal cortex.
Kim et al., 2020. Human Brain Mapping.
💡 Over time, compassion-based practices can reduce shame and rewire harsh inner patterns.
Matos et al., 2017. Psychology and Psychotherapy.
🧠 Psychoanalytic Insight:
In psychoanalysis, the inner critic often reflects an internalised superego—a mental structure built from early relationships.
It can be harsh, punishing, and perfectionistic—not because we’re bad, but because we once needed protection.
“What begins as a defence can become self-punishment—unless it’s brought into awareness.”
Healing doesn’t require silencing the critic.
It requires creating a new voice—a warmer, more regulating one—that knows how to hold both limits and love.
💭 Today’s Practice:
✨ Notice how you speak to yourself when things go wrong.
✨ Ask: Is this voice protective, or punishing?
✨ Try responding with something your younger self needed to hear.
This is how we begin to lead with love—by offering ourselves the tone we never received.
get in touch
If you would like to discuss how we can help you further your development, please send us a message and we will be in touch: info@idmind.health
April is “Stress Awareness Month” – 30 day guide
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day 01: body check-in
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day 02: breathe to regulate
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day 03: Thought Tracker
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day 04: Self-Talk Audit
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day 05: Move Your Body (Gently, Briefly, Lovingly)
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day 06: feel the stress
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day 10: permission to rest
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day 25 – declutter your space
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day 26: say no
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