What if the voice in your head cheered you on instead of pointing out everything you did wrong? With humor, honesty, and a deeply personal story of being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease during the pandemic, this TEDxAWC talk explores the power of self-compassion and what it means to be your own best friend. You'll learn techniques to help quiet your inner critic, let go of guilt, and build a more supportive relationship with yourself. It’s heartfelt, relatable, and, most importantly, has pictures of cats. Dawn Whinnery is a Professor of Psychology at Arizona Western College, where she shares her passion for understanding human behavior with her students. A former U.S. Marine air traffic controller, she discovered her true calling in academia after returning to school. Dawn lives in Arizona with her incredibly supportive husband, and together, they’ve completed over 100 escape rooms across the U.S., combining their love of puzzles and teamwork. Outside of her professional and escape room adventures, Dawn enjoys the company of her cats and exploring the immersive worlds of PC gaming, especially beta testing her son’s gaming creations. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx