Three Ways to Be Kind to Yourself
Most of us have had some training on how to be kind to others. But how do we show kindness to ourselves? Since we are all individuals, our lists will be different. But here are three things to think about.
1) Stop being in a hurry.
I know that sounds radical – and it is. But it is important. Get up a little bit earlier to avoid getting stressed the next morning. Lay out your clothes the night before. Put the stuff you will need the next day by the door so you don’t have to gather it up in the morning. In order to stop being in a hurry, you will need to start thinking in terms of building in a cushion. Don’t use up every minute of the day being productive. Go slowly. This is something that will take some practice, as it is counter-culture. The other day I was at Wal-Mart and a well-dressed woman ran passed me, brushing me on the way. She said “Excuse me”, but did not stop. Then I noticed her running back with a large bag of dog food. This is ridiculous, but it was her normal life, I suppose. You cannot run through Wal-Mart mowing other people down with large bags of dog food. That is what eventually happens to you if you don’t take charge of yourself and practice not being in so much of a hurry!
2) Take care of your body in a gentle way.
Stop all these extreme exercise regimes. They cannot be good for your adrenal gland. Drink water; go to bed at a decent hour; walk outside for awhile; eat an apple. Make things as simple as you can.
3) Practice accepting yourself, instead of perfecting yourself.
I have been counseling people for a looooong time, and we all have problems we wish we didn’t have. (Perhaps they are there for a reason.) One simple way to do this is to practice deep breathing. Breathe in and say “I love”, and breathe out and say “myself”. After awhile it won’t sound so strange.