BONUS SEASON: The Self-Compassion Challenge

When change keeps coming, research suggests the way we talk to ourselves is making it harder. In this first episode of Season 7 — The Change Fatigue Remedy Series — Michelle explores with Dr Kristin Neff what it practically looks like to be a wiser, kinder friend to yourself when things get hard: why "I should be handling this better" is your threat system talking, not the truth, and what to do instead. With more than two decades of research behind her, Dr Neff explains why the three elements of self-compassion — mindfulness, self-kindness, and common humanity — shape not just how you cope, but how your team talks about mistakes, how psychological safety takes root, and what becomes possible when a whole workplace builds the practice together. SHAPE \* MERGEFORMAT 01:38 Kristin explains when the ground keeps shifting, how might being a wiser, kinder friend to yourself actually help — and why does it matter for the people around you? 04:37 Kristin outlines how the three elements of self-compassion — mindfulness, self-kindness, and common humanity can practically help us navigate change. 09:09 Kristin shares why bumping up against your limits and making mistakes isn't failure — it's precisely how we learn and grow. 11:26 Kristin provides a simple brain hack to help us break free from our tendency to criticize, ruminate, and isolate ourselves when we're under pressure. 16:44 Kristin explains how soothing the body helps us our nervous system to navigate change when words alone aren't cutting through. 22:03 Kristin shares how self-compassion spreads through teams and shares how a hospital has used this to build a culture of care that is reducing fatigue. 28:46 Kristin shares how workplaces can design changes to support more self-compassion. 30:39 Kristin outlines how self-compassion can be fierce and help us to set boundaries, say no, and motivate change when needed. SHAPE \* MERGEFORMAT Take our free five-minute change survey to see how you're navigating change right now at thechangelabs.com. Want to go deeper? Explore evidence-based tools for navigating change — including our self-paced certificate in leading the heart of change — at thechangelabs.com.

You can listen to BONUS SEASON: The Self-Compassion Challenge online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

BONUS SEASON: The Self-Compassion Challenge is an episode from Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast by Michelle McQuaid: Positive Psychology Teacher | Playful Change Activator | Huffington Post Blogger.

This episode is 33:09 long.

This episode was published on Mar 17, 2026.

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