"Coach yourself by name to trigger self-compassion When people narrate a crisis from the first person — "I'm a loser, I have no future" — they apply far less compassion to themselves than they would to any friend in the same situation. Visual self-distancing, or taking a "bird's eye view," means switching from "I" to your own name: instead of "I need to get my stuff together," you say "Maya, you need to get your stuff together." Shankar notes this shift, though it "sounds like a little gimmick," is "one of the most powerful tools across domains and intensity of emotions" because it creates psychological distance, surfaces self-compassion, and lets you "poke holes" in negative narratives the way a trusted friend would. The next time you catch harsh self-talk, insert your own name and notice whether the tone immediately softens and becomes more actionable. Source: Maya Shankar, The Mel Robbins Podcast, Life Takes a Turn"