What if your inner critic isn’t the enemy?

In this episode of Authenticity Lab, Dr. Kelsey Miles explores five distinct voices of the inner critic: the Perfectionist, the Catastrophizer, the People-Pleaser, the Comparer, and the Taskmaster. You’ll learn what each one is trying to protect, the hidden skill it carries, and how recognizing those skills can help you stop fighting yourself and start thriving.

Instead of trying to silence your inner critic, you’ll discover how to listen to it like a scientist: observe, collect data, and identify the need underneath the noise. This simple calibration step turns shame into information and helps you reclaim the driver’s seat in your own mind.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why silencing your inner critic doesn’t work and what to do instead

The five main critic voices, their core needs, and their hidden strengths

How to name, note, and claim your critic’s skill so it serves you, not rules you

A short calibration exercise you can use anytime self-doubt gets loud

🎧 Tune in to Authenticity Lab to uncover the science and self-awareness behind your self-talk, and get ready for next week’s episode on boundaries and how to give your inner critic a clear, supportive role.

Connect with me: email me: kelsey@kelseymiles.com
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https://www.youtube.com/c/KelseyMiles
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https://kelseymiles.com

When your inner critic gets loud the moment you start choosing differently, here’s a simple way to take back the wheel. In this episode, I share a real moment my inner critic shouted “failure,” then show how the line “the story I’m telling myself is…” (a framing popularized by Brené Brown) helps you label the narrative, add one counter-story that could also be true, and decide a healthier next step.

You’ll learn

Why it spikes during change (perfectionism’s boomerang).

Exactly how to use “the story I’m telling myself is…” to label the narrative, not the truth.

How to craft a counter-story to widen your choices.

The biggest pitfall: arguing with the critic (it feeds it) and what to do instead.

This episode is part of the CALIBRATE arc in my CEO framework (Calibrate → Experiment → Optimize).
Connect with me: kelsey@kelseymiles.com • kelseymiles.com
Educational only; not therapy.

In this short calibration session, you’ll act as a scientist in your own life: pick one moment (judgment, trigger, or shut-down), notice where it lands in your body, listen to the younger part that’s hiding, and capture exactly what it says without forcing a fix. You’ll leave with one clear story line and one healthy next step.

⬇️ Download the free guided worksheet (PDF): “Your 15-Minute Shadow Work Practice”
👉 https://kelseymiles.kit.com/1804cb87ad

Prompts in this guided practice:

Pick one focus: Judgment / Trigger / Numb-Shut-Down (briefly describe)
Body check (before/after): what I noticed & where (head/throat/chest/stomach/other)
What was said (verbatim if possible)
If I pictured a younger me: age & what they said (optional)
After-care: choose one (short walk, tea, warm meal, text a friend, pet time)

What you’ll need
A quiet spot, ~15 minutes, and something to write with.
Return to this practice when needed.

Safety
Please do this when you’re feeling grounded and unhurried. If discomfort rises above 7/10, pause and return later (or do it with a licensed professional). Educational only; not medical or mental-health advice.

Framework
This practice sits in CALIBRATE (Calibrate → Experiment → Optimize).

I would love to hear from you.
kelsey@kelseymiles.com | kelseymiles.com

Want to reclaim YOUR voice? My guided journal + album helped me and others do just than. Get your copy of I Am at www.kelseymiles.com/100days

Shoutout to my Patreon members www.patreon.com/kelseymiles who support all of my creative endeavors

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https://kelseymiles.com​​