Being Kind to Yourself

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Overcoming mental health issues, working through their symptoms, and finding the help you may need will usually take more than a week to sort out. This is important to recognize, because many people feel as though the “timeline of mental recovery” should be quick, easy and provide solid closure, but that’s not always the case.

It’s important to recognize this, because it’s very easy to place artificial limits on our recovery and healing journey which can only cause us to feel even worse than we did before. Mental health rarely plays by the convenient rules of day-to-day life, and it’s important to be aware of that.

The secret? Being kinder and gentler with yourself, and also carrying that attitude to how you treat others, as well. But how might you achieve such an approach? In this post, we’ll discuss a few measures you can take to be kinder to yourself, the utility of doing that, and what such an approach can look like in the long run. Being kind to myself is something I am constantly working on. It is easier to extend grace to others, but it is not always as easy with myself. These tips are things I can do to help myself and I hope they help you too.

Write Your Honest Thoughts In Your Journal

It’s important to mind your self-talk, but it can also be wise to know exactly what the harsh thoughts you have might be outside of your mind. If you have a faulty impression like this, write it down. When you can look at the words in front of you instead of floating around in your mind, you may realize, on a tangible level, just how unkind they are. Sometimes, to be aware of bad habits, you have to bring them into the light.

Treat Yourself Without Having “Earned It”

In life, we tend to grade our comforts on how well we might have earned them. In some cases, that can be healthy. For instance, you might not head for that tasty morning coffee layed with cream and sugar unless you’ve had a good couple of workouts that week. But sometimes, it’s healthy to treat yourself despite not having “earned it.” Putting a smile on your face can be a lovely use of your time. Buying a book and reading it with a warm mug of tea, purchasing a vinyl of zen music and letting it play throughout your home, these little things are what give us joy. You deserve that kind of joy.

Focus On Wellbeing, One Day At A Time

Self-care is self-love, although it’s important to note that self-care can be different for different people. For some, it might involve supplementing fish oil in their diet or CBD oil to help with anxiety, or perhaps switch out their sugar for sweetener substitutes for a healthier habit.

Perhaps you’ll just go on morning walks that feel comforting and relaxing to you. It’s most often these little things that help us grow and feel more like ourselves, giving us the permission to grow and feel better about ourselves. 

With this advice, you’re sure to be kinder to yourself through a soft, gentle and welcoming set of methods. Never let anyone tell you that this is indulgent or inappropriate. After all, if you can’t be kind to yourself, who can you be kind to?

*collaborative post