Be Kind to Yourself – Simple Steps for Self-Care

Be Kind to Yourself: Most of the time, we are ourselves the harshest critic. We tend to be too hard on ourselves, leading us to question our own choices, judge our feelings, and generally feel bad about who we are.

 

But it doesn’t have to be that way all the time. Be gentle with yourself and learn to accept that you are just human – perfectly normal to commit those mistakes.

 

Be Kind to Yourself

 

It can be a challenge to be gentle with yourself. It is one thing easier said than done. But what does it mean to be gentle with yourself? There is no “right” way to be gentle. It varies from one person to another because each one of us has a different circumstance.

 

But we can work in these different steps to achieve being gentle to ourselves in our way.

 

Be aware of your feelings.

 

Try to practice being aware of your feelings. Acknowledge it, and don’t judge yourself for feeling it. Once you learn to accept and acknowledge what you think, it will transform you. It will allow you to deal with your feelings more appropriately.

 

As a quick practice, try to close your eyes. Ask yourself, “What am i feeling right now?” let the word come to you and learn to honor that feeling.

 

Record your feelings.

 

Try to write down what you feel. You will be surprised at what it can do to you. Writing a journal or diary is one of the most widely used tools in managing one’s mental health.

 

It helps reduce your anxiety and stress and allows you to cope when everyday life can be overwhelming. This practice will enable you to be gentle to yourself.

 

It can be done in less than five minutes. It will help you articulate and put into writing what you feel. And from there, it can help you prioritize your problems, fears, and concerns.

 

It is also believed that once you transfer those thoughts on paper, you can empty your head with things that bother you. You will also be able to resolve better conflicts that you are currently experiencing.

 

Talk to yourself like a friend.

 

Make a friend out of yourself. Most of the time, we think of ourselves and our alter ego. So, our critic is the voice in our head – the good and the bad binary.

 

Why not yourself another friend instead? Try talking to yourself right now and respond like how a friend would. Give yourself the same empathy and compassion your friend usually gives.

 

Listen to that friend, hear what they have to say. After all, being your friend means you know yourself better than anyone.

 

Once you hear yourself telling yourself words of compassion, you’ll see and feel the difference. The power is in your hands. You just have to unlock it.

 

Manage your expectations.

 

You are not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s a fact everyone should learn to accept. Each one of us is different. This difference might not sit well with other people, and that’s okay. Some of us are morning people. Others are night owls.

 

Some are responsible, and some are not. Some are planners, and some are not. Some give priority to their health. Others prioritizes their happiness. We all differ one way or another.

 

Once we open our eyes to this reality, it will be easier for us to understand why other people act that way and vice versa. This way, you can be both gentle to yourself and other people as well.

 

Choose to see the good in other people.

 

We torment ourselves by always seeing the bad of other people. It leads us to overthink. For instance, if our friend doesn’t text us back, we feel that they are mad or ignoring us.

 

If our mother cancels lunch, we think that we are already unimportant to her. When our partner doesn’t help with household chores, we resent them for not understanding the load we have on our shoulders.

 

These thoughts can be excruciating because we choose to see the bad in people. What if your friend is just extremely busy but will eventually reply to you anyway?

 

What if your mom can’t go because she’s not feeling well? What if your partner doesn’t help you with chores because he is hugely exhausted too?

 

Be gentle to yourself and choose to free yourself from thoughts that are only weighing you down.

 

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