Ways to Practice Self-Kindness

We oftentimes forget to show ourselves a little extra love and intentionally practice kindness on ourselves. Self-kindness means not giving yourself a hard time when things may not go the way you want or expected. Here are a few ways that we can practice self-kindness, especially in the midst of your busy schedule:

• Set boundaries and limits in your external environment, which may look different for people such as reducing ties to negative people or saying no to tasks that may cause you to feel a lot of pressure or unnecessary stress.
• Recite self-kindness mantras ritually. Some mantras may include: “I am strong,” “I am confident in my decisions,” “I love myself,” “I am worthy of love,” and “I surround myself with loving and supportive people.”
• Ask others to tell you your strengths. So often we only look at our weaknesses and oftentimes, it is easier to see positive traits in others than it is within ourselves. So ask people around you what they think your strengths are. Compliments are extremely powerful in helping us promote self-kindness.

Disconnect yourself from technology every once in a while. Scrolling through social media platforms can move us away from practicing self-kindness very quickly, leading us to compare ourselves’ to others and distracting ourselves from being in the present moment. Set a certain amount of time each day where you can turn off your phone, laptop, tv, etc, and take that time to do something nice for yourself! Take a warm bath or read a book you have been wanting to start for a while. Self-care looks different for everyone so do what makes you feel good and rejuvenated.

Take some time in your schedule to practice self-kindness, be gentle with yourself, and give yourself some extra love and care.

If you are feeling overwhelmed or want to dig-in a little deeper on what self-care might look like for you, counseling is an excellent tool for some self-compassion. Gives us a call at 615-591-5262. We are happy to talk through your options for starting the counseling process at The Refuge Center. Our sliding scale might be a great option for you if finances are a concern.