Have you ever felt stuck in your own head? Maybe you faced a situation or decision that you 
felt conflicted about and did not know what to do because you felt pulled in different directions internally. It’s a common experience and can leave one feeling stuck and lost.
Let’s look at this with an example. Laura is in her early 30s and works for a big tech company. She is leading an important project and is responsible for its key decision-making. She suddenly finds herself questioning her every move, doubting herself, and feeling overwhelmed. Inside her head, a conversation unfolds. Let’s listen in:
Voice 1: This project has so much at stake. I hope I don’t mess it up.
Voice 2: I don’t know if my team thinks I am smart enough to lead them. I hope we can see this project through.
Voice 3: Wait a minute, I have handled so many complex situations and overcome challenges. Surely I can handle this project. And I have a good team.
Voice 2: But what if I fail to deliver and people think I am not smart? I should have never taken such responsibility.
Voice 4: I don’t want to think about this. Let me just scroll on social media.
Voice 1: There is not enough time, I should be working hard right now to get ahead of this.
Voice 5: Remember how badly you failed last time. You will not succeed, why bother and fail again?
Voice 3: I have failed at things but I have also done so many things well. I am focused, detail oriented and I see the big picture. These skills are critical for this project.
Voice 1: But are you sure things will go as you plan?
Ugh, I feel so overwhelmed!!
In Laura’s case above, there is a dialogue going on in her head about the current situation and you can see there are different voices. Voice 1 feels pressure to perform, Voice 2 doubts her abilities, Voice 3 is the encouraging voice, Voice 4 wants to avoid things, and Voice 5 is simply critical and mean. In this example voices 1,2,4 and 5 are inner critics or protectors. These voices are doubting and criticizing her. Despite their good intentions, these voices are making the situation harder for her. In contrast, voice 3 is an inner ally and is trying to encourage Laura. It reminds her of her capabilities and the things she has achieved and what is possible for her. These voices with different priorities and agendas are making Laura overwhelmed and doubt herself. If not addressed, it can distract her from focusing on the project and affect her performance.
Does this inner dialogue sound familiar to you? Most of us would have experienced inner conflicts like this where our inner voices are at odds with each other. Our inner critics are running wild, spiraling out of control. Situations like this can leave us feeling overwhelmed, stuck, and confused. We cannot eliminate these voices, but we can redesign our relationship with them and learn how to resolve the inner conflicts. Being aware of these critical voices inside, learning how to resolve the conflict, and moving toward clarity and action is important for our growth and success.
Pallavi Srivastava, author of the book ‘Relationship with The Self: Actionable Inputs To Personal Growth and Change’ will be leading a workshop on this for WEST. She will talk about how to recognize and overcome these self-limiting voices and redesign your relationship with your inner critics.
Join this workshop based on the book ‘Relationship With The Self: Actionable Inputs To Personal Growth And Change’ and learn directly from the author:
- The origins and effects of inner critics
- A 7-step process to reframe negative self-talk
- Discover your inner allies: supportive voices that foster confidence, creativity, and growth
- Ask questions about the book
Event link to register: https://www.westorg.org/2025-02-26-inner-dialogue-pallavi-srivastava
About the Facilitator and Author
Pallavi Srivastava is the CEO of The Wellbeing Ways LLC, Executive Coach, and Author of the book ‘Relationship With The Self: Actionable Inputs to Personal Growth and Change’. With 18 years of experience as a therapist, executive coach, and now author, Pallavi partners with organizations and leaders to elevate their leadership, resilience and engagement.
Date and Time:
February 26, 2025
6:00-7:45 PM ET
Agenda
6:00-6:15 PM - Networking
6:15-7:00 PM - Workshop on Inner Critics
7:00-7:15 PM - Q&A with the Author
7:15-7:45 PM - Networking