We’re often kind to the people around us but how come we forget to be kind to ourselves?
It’s time to be kinder to yourself!
Being kind to yourself has been shown to improve your mental health and help build resiliency, whereas being overly self-critical has been linked to anxiety and depression.
If you need even more reasons to start talking gently to yourself, just know that showing yourself self-compassion can:
- boost self-esteem
- increase happiness
- help us cope with stress
- improve the ability to recover from setbacks (resiliency!)
- help us feel more satisfied with life
So, how can you be kind to yourself?
It can be challenging to learn to treat yourself with kindness and compassion, especially if you’ve been self-critical for a long time.
Here are our top 5 things to show yourself some kindness starting today.
- Practice gratitude
If you’ve never done this before, try establishing a morning or evening routine where you write down a few things you’re grateful for each day.
This will help you see how lucky you already are and develop a greater sense of well-being! Gratitude will also encourage you to strengthen your resiliency as you frame situations differently.
- Prioritise your well-being
Develop a healthy well-being plan to deal with stressful situations and stick to it! This is especially crucial if you find yourself resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as alcohol or hyper-processed foods.
A treat now and then is okay, just make sure you have a healthy way to process your emotions and be kind to yourself if you don’t respect it all the time.
- Make time for your hobbies and interests
It’s easy to get lost in the hustle of every day and neglect your interests. By prioritising time to spend on your passions, you will have time to focus on something solely for you.
Don’t be afraid to call your friends and organise something with them if you need some accountability! The important thing is to dedicate time to something that is not just work or house duties.
- Enjoy time off in nature
Being immersed in nature is incredibly beneficial for our mental health.
Whether it is a walk in the park, spending time at the beach or swimming in a lake, make sure you can include some nature time in your daily schedule.
- Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness encourages you to pay attention to the present moment and to focus on the here and now. If you are someone who tends to overthink or worry too much about the future or past, you will find this practice beneficial for you.
You can start by downloading some mindfulness apps such as Insight Timer, Calm or Headspace and follow their guided meditations!
It can be hard to change a critical inner voice. No matter how you decide to proceed, make sure you train the self-compassion muscle as much as possible and let us know which tip resonates the most with you!