Be Kinder to Yourself

You are kind to your friends, family, and acquaintances but are you kind to yourself?

You are caring, generous, and encouraging to others, yet we forget to treat ourselves in the same manner. If you’re not treating yourself with the kindness that you deserve, you will find that your energy depletes fast, and your emotional wellbeing will be off-kilter. 

So, how do you show yourself the kindness that you deserve? You can start by becoming aware of when you’re having a tough day and accepting whatever emotions you are feeling or going through. Practice forgiving yourself. This may be a hard step for some people. When others hurt us or make a mistake, we forgive them more easily than we forgive ourselves. 

Even though it might be hard to automatically forgive yourself as quickly as you’d like, it’s essential to start practicing as soon as possible. The next time you find yourself upset with something you’ve said or done, step back. Then ask how you would react to someone who has made the same mistake. Would you forgive them? If so, treat yourself the same way.

If you are struggling with something in your life, instead of beating yourself up because you are having trouble, ask for help. Many people turn inward when times become difficult and assume no one will understand or be able to help. Silently struggling with an issue sets you up to be harder on yourself than needed. Speak up and ask for help. There is support all around us; all we need to do is ask.

Surround yourself with people who are positive and uplifting, both with themselves and others. It becomes harder to be unkind to yourself when you are surrounded by others who see the best in you and in themselves. When you are dealing with a difficult issue, reach out to them since they may have a positive way of looking at the problem. This might inspire you to not get down on yourself and just solve the problem.

Spend time taking care of yourself. Maybe this means a day of self-care or taking a class that you have wanted to take. Putting yourself first subconsciously gives you a better sense of self. You are less likely to be mean to yourself when your default is being kind to yourself through self-care.

When you are kind to yourself, this tends to bleed over into every aspect of your life. Your relationships are better and stronger, work flows better, and when challenges arise, there is less anxiety about handling them. You will come from a place of knowing that you can handle anything that comes your way, even if you have no idea how to solve it.