Be Kind To Yourself!

It is often said that we are our own worst critics and that we always treat others better than ourselves. Maybe you recognize yourself in this; that you demand too much of yourself, are indulgent in your shortcomings and find it difficult to be kind to yourself.

Therefore, it is necessary that we learn to love, respect and accept ourselves, just as we do with people around us. Starting with yourself makes it easier to be kind to others.

Many people think that they have to be tough on themselves in order not to sit still without doing something. They feel that they must have strict deadlines to keep moving forward. This may be true, and it’s okay to put pressure on yourself. The problem is that we often focus and become obsessed with what we do wrong or what we can improve. Maybe we should experiment with being less strict and allow ourselves to make mistakes from time to time (which would also be good for our learning).

We are perceived by others as strong, determined and brave people, as superheroes. At the same time, we hide the fact that we are afraid, have doubts and that we are unhappy.

This mask or shield that we put up does not help us. It actually does the opposite because we become the most unjust and critical people on the planet when the time comes when we have to be alone, and then we do not allow ourselves to make the slightest mistake.

How do you become kind to yourself?

Saying “I love myself” is not synonymous with narcissism, but only shows that you accept and love yourself for who you are. And while this may seem like the hardest thing in the world to do, it should not be. Here are some tips to help you become kind to yourself:

It’s okay to make mistakes

No one is perfect and no one was born with all the knowledge. Like other people, you also make mistakes, because you are no more than a human being. Do not ponder your mistakes; do not make a hen out of a feather; put things in perspective.

If there is something in the way you speak or act that you do not like, you should pay better attention next time, analyze the situation and come up with a way to solve it. What if the same mistake happened to a friend or family member? Convince yourself that the world will not perish because you sabotaged something, or because you acknowledged it.

Do not ignore the pain

Do not deny the feeling of sadness, fear, suffering, despair and depression. Wanting to hide things from others may work in some situations, but there will come a time when you need to deal with your emotions.

We can deal with a best friend who is feeling bad or a partner who is having a bad day, but not say “I’m sorry today” or “I’m depressed” because we want to get away from this feeling, hide it and not fix it. This only makes the situation worse.

Treat yourself like you treat someone you love

Imagine that you are in the kitchen with your little child who wants to help at the table. He takes a glass and it falls to the floor and crashes. What would you say? You may scold him, but if he cuts himself or starts to cry, you would comfort him; you would say it was an accident and a mistake that could have affected anyone.

Now imagine that instead of your son, it was you who dropped the glass that went into a thousand pieces? Your first reaction would surely be to think that you are useless and that you can not do anything right.

Compare both situations and imagine how your child would have felt if you had said the same thing to him as you said to yourself, and how you would have felt if you were as understanding of yourself as of your son.

Having a bad day does not mean that bad luck is here to stay

We all go through moments we just want to forget. Those that hurt to the point that it feels like we’ve reached the abyss and it seems like a dark cloud is hovering over our heads.

Beyond the bad, unfortunate or unwanted things, we are able to successfully overcome and emerge victorious from the fight against losses, bad luck or whatever we want to call them. There is always a light in the tunnel, no matter how dark it is at the moment. Give yourself a few minutes every day to think of things to be grateful for… You will realize that there are several reasons and that they are very good!

Do not be your own worst enemy. Become your best ally and friend instead.