You wake up, and before your eyes even fully adjust to the morning light, you’re already braced for impact. It’s that familiar knot in your stomach, the silent alarm blaring, signaling the start of another relentless day.

The never-ending to-do list. A digital scroll of tasks and responsibilities is already running through your brain at warp speed. The inbox is a battlefield; each unread email is a potential new demand on your already-stretched time. Your kid’s lunch needs packing, a seemingly simple task that, in the grand scheme of things, feels like just one more brick in the wall of your overwhelming day. 

Do You Struggle With Feeling Like You’re Never Enough?

Self-compassion is finally having its moment — and honestly, it’s about time.

So many of the women I work with share a common struggle: the pull of self-criticism is powerful, constant, and exhausting. It’s there in the background while they wash dishes, walk the dog, or toss and turn at night. And it’s rarely random. More often, that inner voice is an echo — the sharp tone of a parent, the impossible standards of a boss, or the subtle (and not-so-subtle) cultural pressures to be everything to everyone, without ever messing up.

For some, the critic took root early as a survival tool: If I’m hard on myself first, no one else can get to me. Others absorbed it from the way caregivers spoke about themselves, learning perfectionism and shame like a second language. Then there’s the societal weight: be thinner, be more successful, be endlessly patient, keep up with everyone else — and never show weakness.

It’s 7:30 AM. You're in the kitchen, racing the clock (again), and your toddler knocks over the cup of milk you just poured. You feel your whole body tighten. You raise your voice. You curse under your breath. And then, just like that, it’s happening again—you’re spiraling into that familiar wave of guilt, frustration, and self-blame.

Meet Magaly. She’s in her 30s, has worked hard to build a career she’s proud of, and is known for being reliable, capable, and dedicated. But despite her accomplishments, she often feels like she’s not enough. In meetings, or anytime she is unsettled by something at work, she second-guesses herself and holds back from speaking up. She rereads emails ten times before sending them, worried she’ll say the wrong thing. She replays scenarios in her head, wondering how to approach issues and is searching for the perfect solution.  And at the end of the day, there’s this nagging feeling of dissatisfaction—like she’s stuck but doesn’t know how to move forward. 

Ah February–the month of love. People either love it or hate it. For some, it’s a time to celebrate the love shared with a partner, while for others, it highlights the fact that they’re single when they’d rather not be, or it makes them question what might be “wrong” with them.