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
https://www.facebook.com/iamkelseymiles
https://www.youtube.com/c/KelseyMiles
https://www.instagram.com/iamkelseymiles
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

Connect with Kelsey: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mileskels/​​​
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mileskels/​​​
https://kelseymiles.com​​

Shadow work isn’t “fixing yourself.” It’s creating a safe space to hear the parts you’ve been hiding. In this episode, I break it down clearly, guide you through a short practice, and cover the most common mistakes (plus the fool-proof way to avoid them).

What you’ll learn
Shadow = the parts you learned to hide (feelings, needs, traits, memories). Shadow work = the process of exploring these hidden parts Healing with shadow work = increasing your capacity, allowing the unconscious to become conscious, so your shadows don't rule your life.

-How to know it’s time: triggers, spikes of judgment, judgment, and numbing as doorways.
-A 10-minute guided experience with follow-up journaling prompts.
-The most common mistakes (toxic positivity, forcing the box open, turning shadow work into a scavenger hunt) and how to never make them.


Guided practice recap (save this)
Notice one body cue (tight chest, hot face, heavy gut).
Invite with consent: “I won’t force a solution. I’m here to listen.” Ask: What is this hidden part trying to protect in me?

Experiment (smallest next step): one honest sentence, one gentler ask, one slower tempo, one boundary you can tolerate today.

Journaling prompts (do this immediately after guided meditation):
1. What situation did you analyze? (triggered? judgement? numbing? event)
2. Where did I feel it in my body (0–10)?
3. First thoughts/ideas I noticed that the shadow shared?
4. Did you imagine a younger version of yourself? What did they say? 5. After thanking your shadow for sharing, did the intensity in my body (question #2) change? What is the new intensity (0–10)

Share your story (I might feature it)
Email: kelsey@kelseymiles.com

Tell me: what you were hiding, what it thought it was protecting, the smallest experiment you tried, and what power showed up (clarity, steadier voice, kinder boundary).

Safety note
Please don’t do the practice while driving or multitasking. If your intensity rises above 7/10 or trauma memories/self-harm thoughts surface, pause and work with a licensed therapist. Shadow work should be tolerable, not re-traumatizing.

If this helped, subscribe and share it with someone who’s ready to do real inner work—no toxic positivity, just honest calibration.

I Am Lyrical Journey: Go to www.kelseymiles.com/100days

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

Connect with Kelsey:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mileskels/​​​
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mileskels/​​​
https://kelseymiles.com​​

This month was full of travel and decisions, and I missed my podcast deadline. Instead of pretending that I’m fine or forcing myself to record and edit a full episode, I’m calibrating in real time.

If you’ve ever missed a deadline, I share a 2-minute reflection practice to help you stay calibrated through chaos.

Get your I AM lyrical journal here: www.kelseymiles.com/100days

And if you love this episode, I’d love to hear from you. You can share your thoughts with me at kelsey@kelseymiles.com

Connect with me: https://www.facebook.com/iamkelseymiles

https://www.youtube.com/c/KelseyMiles

https://www.instagram.com/iamkelseymiles

https://kelseymiles.com

Authenticity Lab | Season 2: Thrive in Uncertainty | Episode 7

Have you ever skipped a pool party, hid under a towel, or told yourself, “I’m just not confident”?
That’s not your truth. That’s shame talking.

In this raw, personal episode, Dr. Kelsey Miles shares a childhood memory that planted deep body shame and changed how she saw herself for years. If you’ve ever struggled with body image, self-worth, or hiding parts of yourself, this one will hit home.

This episode is part of the Calibrate phase of Kelsey’s Calibrate, Experiment, Optimize (CEO) method. It is a practical framework for thriving in uncertainty by reconnecting with your most authentic self.

You’ll learn:

How a single moment of body shame can quietly shape your identity

Why we create “adaptive personalities” to protect ourselves

How to recognize the lies shame tells you

The healing message behind Kelsey’s original song “Shadow”

How to start calibrating back to the truth of who you are

🎶 This episode features insights inspired by Kelsey’s song “Shadow,” which explores the parts of ourselves we’re taught to hide and how to bring them into the light.

💡 Listen now if you’re ready to start showing up more fully, lovingly, and boldly as yourself.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode on living with authenticity, building resilience, and finding confidence in uncertainty.

Get your I AM lyrical journal here: kelseymiles.com/100days And if you love this episode, I’d love to hear from you. You can share your thoughts with me at kelsey@kelseymiles.com Connect with me: https://www.facebook.com/iamkelseymiles https://www.youtube.com/c/KelseyMiles https://www.instagram.com/iamkelseymiles https://kelseymiles.com

Have you ever broken a promise to yourself, and instead of trying to understand why, you punished yourself with guilt and shame?

In this episode of Authenticity Lab, Dr. Kelsey Miles unpacks why breaking trust with yourself can feel so defeating… and why trying to “fix it” through perfection only makes things worse.

Learn how to:

Stop the cycle of self-betrayal and shame
Rebuild internal trust without needing to be perfect
Recognize how shame makes change harder, not easier
Start healing through honesty and compassion not control

🎵 Inspired by Kelsey’s song “Shadow”, this conversation helps you reconnect with the parts of yourself you’ve hidden and shows you how to build real self-trust from the inside out.

Listen to Shadow:
Youtube: https://youtu.be/9DwNKnMnO1k
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7C0wxFWEpoBEMFNf4TrtXT?si=e02f6e5aa6ae4daa
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/song/shadow/1690181316

🎙️ Season 2: Thrive in Uncertainty – Episode 6
🌀 Phase: Calibrate | Framework: Calibrate, Experiment, Optimize

Do you feel like you’re constantly “performing” just to be taken seriously at work, in relationships, or even with yourself?
In this episode, Dr. Kelsey Miles explores why we hide our authentic selves, how masking shows up in everyday life, and the unexpected shame it creates. She shares a personal story of hiding her femininity to fit into a masculine academic world and how letting go of the mask is the first step toward true self-acceptance.
If you're ready to stop hiding and start reclaiming your power, this episode is your starting point.

Get your I AM lyrical journal here: www.kelseymiles.com/100days
And if you love this episode, I’d love to hear from you. You can share your thoughts with me at kelsey@kelseymiles.com

Our next free group call is August 1st! Email me at kelsey@kelseymiles.com to get access.
Connect with me:
https://www.facebook.com/iamkelseymiles
https://www.youtube.com/c/KelseyMiles
https://www.instagram.com/iamkelseymiles
https://kelseymiles.com