How to Struggle Better: Navigating Difficult Times with Self-Compassion

By Michelle McQuaid

In How to Struggle Better, an audio course from Scribd Coach, positive psychology expert Michelle McQuaid helps you discover invaluable strategies to navigate hard times with grace and self-compassion.

In this empathetic, evidence-based course, McQuaid discusses the distinction between self-criticism and self-compassion and illuminates the power of self-kindness, helping you cultivate a nurturing mindset even in the face of adversity. McQuaid also explains how to apply the principles of positive psychology, translating them into tangible steps and techniques to promote growth, resilience, and personal well-being.

How to Struggle Better is a practical guide to making it through difficult times, informed by psychological research and real-world applications. Anyone looking to step up their self-compassion will benefit from McQuaid’s advice.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scribd Coach
• Release date: Aug 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9781094446554

Michelle McQuaid

Sought around the world for her playful approach to translate cutting-edge research in positive psychology and neuroscience into practical actions, Michelle helps people and workplaces to thrive. A best-selling author with more than 25 years of global leadership experience in organizations of all sizes, she works with boards, leadership teams, managers and employees to help them move beyond their fears, improve their resilience and wellbeing, and build authentic and productive connections so they can do the best work of their lives. Michelle’s unique ability to inspire, energize, and support people to create lasting strengths-based changes is why her clients include Deloitte’s, IBM, LendLease, Treasury Wine Estate, the Dubai Government, and Melbourne University among many others. With a PhD for her research on Appreciative Inquiry Summits and a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology, Michelle has led the charge on creating free, evidence-based tools for workplaces including The PERMAH Workplace Survey (permahsurvey.com). To learn more about McQuaid and her work, visit her website, MichelleMcQuaid.com, or find her on LinkedIn at au.linkedin.com/in/chellemcquaid.

Book preview

How to Struggle Better

HOW TO STRUGGLE BETTER

Navigating Difficult Times with Self-Compassion

MICHELLE MCQUAID

SCRIBD COACH

Contents

About Scribd Coach

Introduction

Navigating Moments of Struggle

What’s Our Inner Voice Saying?

Positive Psychology, Self Compassion, and Failure

Conclusion

About the Author

Copyright © 2023

All rights reserved

ISBN: 9781094446554

First e-book edition: August 2023

Scribd, Inc.

San Francisco, California

Scribd.com

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About Scribd Coach

This ebook is brought to you by Scribd Coach, a new imprint from Scribd dedicated to short-form, inclusive, and insightful personal and professional growth courses written by recognized experts.

Each Scribd Coach course is available in audiobook format or as an ebook transcribed from the audio course — like the book you’re about to read. If you’re interested in the audio edition of this course, or if you’d like to read more personal growth content from Scribd Coach, check out the Scribd Coach imprint page. 

You can share your thoughts on this title by rating and leaving a review on the book page. Thanks for reading — enjoy!

Introduction

Hello‌ ‌everyone!‌ ‌I’m‌ ‌‌Michelle McQuaid,‌ ‌and‌ ‌this‌ ‌is‌ ‌How to Struggle Better: Navigating Difficult Times with Self-Compassion,‌ ‌a ‌course‌ ‌from‌ ‌Scribd‌.‌ ‌Thank‌ ‌you‌ ‌for‌ ‌joining‌ ‌me.‌ ‌ ‌

Someone once said that all of life is struggle. I’m not quite sure I’d go as far as to say that all of life is struggle, but there is something to be said for the fact that all human beings experience struggle. It’s a natural part of life, and, no matter what we do, there is no escaping it. If that sounds morbid to you, I hope that’s something that we can change by the end of this course. Because this certainty can actually be quite freeing.

We don’t have to spend so much time being afraid of struggle or trying to avoid it. Because, although we cannot run from struggle, we can learn coping skills to help us overcome struggle — not only in one piece, but actually better, stronger, and more resilient than we were before. Every struggle that we face is an opportunity. And, to make the most of it, we must develop self-compassion.

And that’s exactly what this course is all about — self-compassion. Over the course of three units, we will cover how to effectively navigate moments of struggle, the difference between self criticism and self compassion, and how to translate positive psychology into action.

Throughout these units, you will learn that much of navigating struggle successfully comes down to making the exact mindset shift that we’ve just described — embracing the reality that we will always struggle.

Choosing to view your struggles as an invitation for learning and growth can transform what drives your physical, mental, emotional, and social responses from a place of threat to a place of challenge. It can also change how you feel about yourself and about your ability to handle what life is asking of you. Most importantly, it inspires action; in this way,