Surprising Approaches to Stop Undermining Yourself episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 21, 2026 · 4 MIN

Surprising Approaches to Stop Undermining Yourself

from The School of Life · host tscol

We often observe self protective strategies in ourselves with a mixture of puzzlement and embarrassment. Why are we like this? Why can’t we be more normal? What’s up with us? Our newsletter is a treasury of ideas: ideas that can inspire, console, and improve your mental wellbeing. You’ll also hear news about our app, latest releases and exclusive Q&A content, where we answer your questions:https://www.theschooloflife.com/signup/ If you want to keep working on your mental well-being and self-understanding, download our hugely helpful new app now: https://www.theschooloflife.com/app/ Our website has books and articles to help you lead a more fulfilled life: https://b4f4.short.gy/QElbpO ​​For Psychotherapy and other therapeutic services: https://www.theschooloflife.com/therapy-booking/?presetTherapyType=Psychotherapy For information on The School of Life’s learning and wellbeing solutions for businesses, including workshops and talks, visit https://www.theschooloflife.com/at-work/ Email [email protected] or join our monthly business newsletter: https://share-eu1.hsforms.com/1U9XMcR1KRRSyg1D8hYB1TQg4qle FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects on our blog, here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/letting-go-of-self-protective-strategies/ “There’s an enlightening and sometimes slightly painful exercise one can do by oneself to learn a bit more about the origins of how one feels and behaves. Pick out an emotional skill or habit that you know you’re not very good at – and write it down on a sheet of paper. Here are some examples: — Staying calm — Taking pride in yourself — Trusting — Missing people who go away We often observe these traits in ourselves with a mixture of puzzlement and embarrassment. Why are we like this? Why can’t we be more normal? What’s wrong with us?” MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE Watch more films on SELF in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLself SOCIAL MEDIA Feel free to follow us at the links below: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-school-of-life-for-business/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Léon Moh-Cah http://leonmohcah.com Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often observe self protective strategies in ourselves with a mixture of puzzlement and embarrassment. Why are we like this? Why can’t we be more normal? What’s up with us? Our newsletter is a treasury of ideas: ideas that can inspire, console, and improve your mental wellbeing. You’ll also hear news about our app, latest releases and exclusive Q&A content, where we answer your questions:https://www.theschooloflife.com/signup/ If you want to keep working on your mental well-being and self-understanding, download our hugely helpful new app now: https://www.theschooloflife.com/app/ Our website has books and articles to help you lead a more fulfilled life: https://b4f4.short.gy/QElbpO ​​For Psychotherapy and other therapeutic services: https://www.theschooloflife.com/therapy-booking/?presetTherapyType=Psychotherapy For information on The School of Life’s learning and wellbeing solutions for businesses, including workshops and talks, visit https://www.theschooloflife.com/at-work/ Email [email protected] or join our monthly business newsletter: https://share-eu1.hsforms.com/1U9XMcR1KRRSyg1D8hYB1TQg4qle FURTHER READING You can read more on this and other subjects on our blog, here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/letting-go-of-self-protective-strategies/ “There’s an enlightening and sometimes slightly painful exercise one can do by oneself to learn a bit more about the origins of how one feels and behaves. Pick out an emotional skill or habit that you know you’re not very good at – and write it down on a sheet of paper. Here are some examples: — Staying calm — Taking pride in yourself — Trusting — Missing people who go away We often observe these traits in ourselves with a mixture of puzzlement and embarrassment. Why are we like this? Why can’t we be more normal? What’s wrong with us?” MORE SCHOOL OF LIFE Watch more films on SELF in our playlist: http://bit.ly/TSOLself SOCIAL MEDIA Feel free to follow us at the links below: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theschooloflifelondon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSchoolOfLife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschooloflifelondon/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-school-of-life-for-business/ CREDITS Produced in collaboration with: Léon Moh-Cah http://leonmohcah.com Title animation produced in collaboration with Graeme Probert www.gpmotion.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Surprising Approaches to Stop Undermining Yourself

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We often observe self protective strategies in ourselves with a mixture of puzzlement and embarrassment. Why are we like this? Why can’t we be more normal? What’s up with us? Our newsletter is a treasury of ideas: ideas that can inspire, console,...

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