If you've ever wondered why being hard on yourself isn't actually making you more productive, this episode is the explanation you've been missing.

In this episode, I break down exactly what happens inside your brain when you criticise yourself, why it's the thing keeping you stuck instead of pushing you forward, and what to actually do instead in your life and business.

In this episode:

• Why self-criticism triggers your brain's threat response (the amygdala hijack explained)
• What happens to your prefrontal cortex — your thinking, decision-making brain — when you're in self-attack mode
• Why the cruelty feels like it's working even when it isn't
• The Bloom Work: three specific moves — The Catch, The Redirect, The Shrink

Next episode: Why you'll move mountains for a client but can't do the same for yourself. (It has nothing to do with discipline.)

🎙️ Bloom by Naza is a podcast for intelligent, capable women who know exactly what to do but can’t seem to be able to execute on it. Every episode starts with your brain, not your to-do list.

New episodes every Monday at 6am.

Chapters:00:00 — What you believe about self-criticism01:48 — Why I started here 05:15 — What happens in your brain when you attack yourself08:35 — The seven-step spiral you don't even notice you're in10:00 — The three flavors of self-criticism (and why each one freezes you differently)13:00 — Six businesses. Why I kept quitting.15:51 — The safety system — what your brain actually needs to build17:00 — Bloom Work22:20 — How I used all three before filming this episode26:35 — What's coming next week