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Many of us have a voice in our heads that comes to us every time we fail. It tells us that we have failed at something again, that we have not tried hard enough, and that we are incapable. It also comes in moments when we feel lonely, or when we are overwhelmed by the impression that everything is going worse for us than for the people around us. For some people, it is so intense that it becomes a trigger for strong anxiety or depressive episodes. Psychologists refer to this voice as the inner critic. In the new episode of the Humanity podcast, Barbora Mareková talks to psychologist and psychotherapist Michaela Trúchla about how the inner critic originated and how it can manifest itself in our lives. “The inner critic very often comes from our family environment and reflects how others treated us when we failed,” says Michaela in the podcast. “When our inner critic is too cruel, it can paralyze us. We feel like we can't do anything, so we start scrolling through social media to have some fun, but then the critic comes back to tell us that we're doing nothing, and that we're all for nothing." One of the important skills we can learn in therapy is how to deal with our inner critic. And scientific knowledge shows that self-compassion is very effective in this process. People who can look at themselves compassionately and kindly in difficult situations are happier, have better relationships, and are healthier, both physically and mentally. They are also more resilient - they can better handle various stressful situations in their lives. Michaela will explain how she helps clients notice their inner critic and invite it into dialogue. She also talks about how we can start engaging self-compassion in ourselves. Mentioned in the podcast: Radical Acceptance (Tara Brach) Guest recommended books: Self Compassion and Fierce Self Compassion (Kristin Neff) Stalking Your Inner Critic (Sonja Straub) _ Support SME daily podcasts by purchasing a premium subscription and enjoy podcasts without ads on the SME.sk website or in the SME.sk mobile application. You can purchase a premium subscription at https://predplatne.sme.sk/podcast _ If you have feedback, a link or an idea for us, write to us at [email protected] – You can find all SME daily podcasts at sme.sk/podcasty –