6 Ways to Be Kind to Yourself

This post was compiled by Bridget Murphy and Alex Phillips to encourage a little more self-compassion and self-love.

Give yourself the compliments, approval, validation and pats on the back you know you deserve.

Instead of waiting for the applause of others, give yourself permission to celebrate your wins (big and small). Acknowledging your efforts goes a long way in boosting your self-confidence, improving your self-talk and self-worth. 

-Alex

Take time to do something just for fun.

Make an ‘Absolute Yes List’ including everything you’d say ‘yes’ to doing without any hesitation.

Try to do one of these things each week. Ideally they don’t require you to be productive or have a particular outcome in mind, they’re simply there to bring you joy.

If you get stuck, think of things you used to do as a child that you could try now.

-Bridget

Use affirmations to channel kind, supportive and compassionate self-talk.

Examples of affirmations:

“I am strong and resilient”

“This too, shall pass”

“I am worthy of love, growth and healing”

“I am enough”

“I give myself permission to feel”

Think about the soothing words and phrases you would use to comfort a loved one, and speak to yourself in the same compassionate tone. You might even like to create an affirmation cheat sheet in your diary, journal or the notes section of your phone that you can refer back to when you need a little help channeling your inner coach.

-Alex

Make sure your expectations are realistic. 

Too often we have so much to do in a short amount of time that we feel overwhelmed before we've begun.

A helpful way to make sure you’re being fair on yourself is to map out your days with a list of tasks broken down into steps and then given time allocations.

It can also be helpful to ask yourself ‘what am I trying to prove to myself and others?’. Once you have your answer, ask yourself if it's fair and worth your time and energy. If it isn't, reassess.

-Bridget

Curate your newsfeed and digital environment in a way that supports you. 

It’s important to be mindful of the content you’re consuming daily since what is on your newsfeed is feeding your mind. Unfollow accounts that trigger stress, anxiety and critical thoughts, and replace them with accounts that empower you. 

-Alex

Give yourself permission to slow down in advance.

We crave time to slow down but when we’re swept up in the busyness of our days it’s hard to see how and when we can.

Try to give yourself permission to slow down in advance so you make time for it and don’t feel guilty about taking a step back from what you’re doing.

You might give yourself permission to have a slow morning one day a week, to sit down with your coffee or cuppa for 5 minutes or to stop working by a certain time of the day.

-Bridget