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Our IP & ME community recently ran a “lunch-&-learn” event with guest speaker Sadia Salam. Entitled “How to take your power back”, it looked at how to silence the “inner critic” that prevents so many of us from reaching our full potential. IP Inclusive intern Jessica Anderson took part in the event; she clearly found it inspiring and has written us this wonderful report about it. IP & ME will be organising more lunch-&-learn events over the next few months, starting with “Through a different lens” on 18 July – keep an eye on their webpage so as not to miss out!
Jessica writes:
On Thursday 13 June 2024, I had the pleasure of attending “How to Take Your Power Back”, an IP & ME lunch-&-learn masterclass. Sadia Salam, an executive coach, inclusion facilitator and recovering lawyer, offered insightful tips on battling your “inner critic”. The webinar highlighted:
- Tools and techniques for identifying negative self-talk.
- Strategies to replace and fend off the negative self-talk with empowerment.
What is the “inner critic”?
The inner critic can be recognised as the negative voice in your head.
It steals your power in the following ways:
- Immobilisation – stopping you from doing what you want to do, from being positive or leaving your comfort zone.
- Encourages catastrophising and being over-critical.
These mechanisms serve to leave you in a rut of frustration and low self-esteem.
Relateably, Sadia recalled struggling with her negative inner voice throughout her career. Despite having achieved so much, there were moments when her inner critic prevailed in convincing her that she wasn’t good enough. We all experience struggles with our inner critic, especially in the workplace. Sadia highlighted that for many, these struggles manifest through the concept of “imposter syndrome”. Imposter syndrome entails the overbearing feeling of self-doubt that high-achieving individuals experience.
But, why do we have an inner critic? Arguably, this stems from a place of love, wanting better for ourselves and trying to push for that. However, it is typically communicated in the harshest possible way, which is counter-productive.
Hence, Sadia noted the importance of practical awareness. Though it is easy to notice our inner critic at work, it is equally important to actively cultivate a healthy relationship with it. Sadia used a fantastic analogy being that the inner critic is a member of your executive team, but it is not the CEO! You are the CEO of your thoughts, meaning that you have the power to choose your thoughts – something that many people do not realise.
How to take your power back
Sadia offered a five-step process to combat your inner critic:
- Awareness: spot and get to know your inner critic. How does it manifest when at work? This may be recognisable through feeling tense or deflated, for example.
- Acknowledge your inner critic as separate: I enjoyed Sadia’s suggestion of personifying (and naming) your inner critic, as a means of separating them from yourself.
- Self-compassion: make a conscious effort to offer yourself grace. The inner critic can be unduly harsh when it picks up on negative past experiences and tries to capitalise on them.
- Reframe the relationship: fight back; don’t let them lie to you!
- Take action: tune into your inner champion by looking after yourself. Ensuring that you have a full battery will leave you well-equipped to fend off the inner critic.
Key reflections and highlights
This webinar was a great opportunity for self-reflection and developing self-awareness. It was refreshing to hear that even those in positions of seniority experience similar struggles with their inner critic.
I particularly enjoyed the moment when Sadia led the attendees through a moment of meditation. This was a great example of how to approach reflection amid busy thoughts that can give rise to the inner critic.
The following points particularly stood out to me:
- Recognise your “Inner Champion” – tune into your inner champion as a reminder of your capabilities and how great you are. Engaging with this more frequently will allow you to be more positive and productive.
- Your inner critic will always speak negatively so that you remain stagnant. Consider the intention behind what the inner critic is saying and remind yourself that your inner champion should be louder.
- Focus on your “superpowers” – what you can do, rather than the negative.
More about Sadia Salam
To find out more about Sadia’s work, and how she might be able to help you and your colleagues, please visit her website at https://www.sadiasalam.com/ or contact her via her LinkedIn page.