Do you want to be kinder to yourself no matter what life throws at you or what decisions you make?
For many, it’s easy to practice kindness towards others. But when it comes to ourselves, we don’t make room for patience, understanding, or forgiveness. But only through these actions are you able to improve your wellbeing and your life overall.
It’s easy to beat yourself up and say negative things about yourself, especially when you mess up or make a mistake. But just because something is easy doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.
It’s crucial to practice kindness towards yourself first and foremost to reduce the chances of stress, anxiety, and depression. Here are 4 ways to help you get started.
Forgive Your Mistakes
Sometimes you might catch yourself forgiving everyone else for their shortcomings but leaving no room for yourself. No matter what mistakes you make, it’s important to learn how to forgive yourself so you can move on. This allows you to form new, healthy attachments under the right circumstances.
Blaming yourself and being harsh with yourself doesn’t solve your problems and won’t bring you closer to where you want to be. To successfully practice kindness to yourself, you need to have forgiveness.
When you catch yourself being self-critical, take yourself out of the equation. Imagine that, instead of speaking to yourself, you’re speaking to a friend. If you knew your friend was a good person but they kept putting themselves down, would you think that was right? You wouldn’t, so you should treat yourself with the same compassion you freely give other people.
Set Healthy Boundaries
Healthy boundaries are essential to ensure that you’re comfortable and secure. To set boundaries, it’s important to know what you want. Everyone’s list of boundaries will look different, but what matters is that it’s suitable for you.
Practicing self-reflection is necessary to understand what your boundaries are. It helps to visualize the type of interactions you want as well as think about what situations make you uncomfortable or times when you wanted to say no but didn’t. How were your boundaries crossed in these scenarios?
To consistently practice your skill in setting boundaries, it’s also crucial to start small. If you’re terrified of conflict or speaking your mind, you can bring up a small issue before a big one. You don’t want to bite off more than you can chew, so setting a healthy pace is key.
It’s also important to set boundaries as early as possible. Instead of waiting until much later to communicate your boundaries, letting others know them early puts them on the same page so you both feel more comfortable.
Take Care of Your Body
Are you mean to your reflection when you look in the mirror? Are there physical aspects of your body you want to change? What kinds of things do you think or say when you look at yourself and your body?
If you have a negative view of yourself, you’re likelier to say mean, discouraging things that prevent you from reaching your goals. It’s crucial to be kind to yourself no matter what physical state you’re in because then you can make room for positive change.
Your body does so much for you to ensure you stay alive so you can do the things you enjoy and spend time with the people you love. In return, it’s crucial to nourish it properly with the vitamins, nutrients, and exercise it needs to stay healthy. Regular exercise and healthy foods can decrease stress and anxiety, improve your mood, and enhance your overall wellbeing.
Compare Yourself to No One
An important part of your personal growth journey is learning not to prioritize what others think about you. If you base your kindness to yourself on what others think and feel, you’ll never feel satisfied with who you are, even if that’s a great person.
Instead of comparing yourself to others, learn to compare yourself to no one–except yourself. The goal is to be better and do better today than yesterday. What others do in their lives is irrelevant when it comes to your worth and purpose.
Focus more on yourself and how you feel rather than putting all the emphasis on others. What others think of you is none of your business. You have no control over how others perceive you, so why compare yourself to them? They don’t determine your worth; you do.
You can be kinder to yourself and boost your confidence by quitting all comparisons to other people and putting that energy into taking care of yourself. Self-care will teach you how to do this. You can make yourself a soothing cup of tea, run a warm bath, buy that luxury item you’ve been eyeing, watch your favorite television shows, etc.
Over to You
If you want to take effective steps to be kinder to yourself, these tips are sure to help you get started. It’s vital to take care of your mental and emotional health to support your wellbeing. By practicing these tips, you’re on your way to a healthier mindset so you can start appreciating yourself.