Can you imagine how amazing the world would be if we were all a little bit kinder?
Not to each other, but to ourselves.
If we all loved ourselves just a little bit more. Put our good selves at the top of our own lengthy to-do lists every once in a while. Spoke to ourselves with kindness and compassion instead of telling ourselves we’re not good enough all the time.
Can you imagine?
Last year was a big year for me. That IIH diagnosis changed my life. One of the many things it taught me was for many different reasons, I was way too hard on myself about pretty much everything.
While I’m still battling to get my IIH under control – don’t worry, I’m determined to beat this thing and beat it, I WILL – recognising that I needed to be kinder to myself has resulted in some fairly significant life changes.
For a start, I’m now 25 kilos lighter than I was a year ago.
I’ve also stopped worrying about what other people think of me. Here’s 10 ways I’ve become kinder to myself. Maybe they’ll be of help to you too.
10 Ways To Be Kinder To Yourself
1. Make time for yourself each day
Even if it’s just 5 minutes. For me, it’s taking the time to sit down and actually enjoy my first cup of coffee each morning.
2. Ask for help when you need it
There’s no shame in asking for help. In fact, you would be surprised how many of your family and friends would love to help when asked.
3. Avoid negative people
Negative people will bring you down quicker than the moment you realise kale chips aren’t actually chips. In fact, when you think about it negative people and kale have a lot in common. Sometimes it feels like they’re everywhere yet they’re both really annoying!
My advice? Show yourself some kindness by ditching both ASAP.
4. Nourish your body with what it needs
Listen to your body and give it what it needs. It will tell you.
Sleep, water, fresh fruit and veg, gentle exercise, chocolate (none of that dark stuff – such a waste of time), hot chips, whatevs.
Choose real food, not processed garbage. Eat what your body is craving, just don’t eat 472 kilos of it. Nourish your body with respect and kindness. It will thank you for it.
5. Rest when you need to
Seriously. It’s just as important to rest as it is to socialise.
6. Celebrate your achievements
How you go about this is up to you, but it’s important to acknowledge your achievements and milestones. Don’t let them slip by unnoticed. Shout it from the roof tops or quietly high five yourself. Either way, celebrate you.
7. Wear clothes that make you feel good
If you’ve got clothes in your wardrobe that don’t fit or are uncomfortable, it might be time to ditch them. Show yourself some kindness and wear clothes that you feel fabulous in! If you’d like some wardrobe decluttering tips, head to this post.
8. Treat yourself
I’m a big believer in treating yourself and I do so on a semi-regular basis. It’s never anything extravagant and is usually as simple as flinging a homewares magazine into the trolley when I’m doing the groceries. That will then lead me back to Number One, so it’s a double kindness winner!
Or maybe I’ll purchase a new beauty product online or at the shops to try. Or every now and again I’ll treat myself to a bunch of flowers.
9. Learn how to say no
That was a big one and it took me a while to get the hang of. In fact I’m still working on it. You can read how I stopped saying yes and started saying no right here.
10. Look for the silver lining
Now this one is my favourite. I truly believe there is a silver lining in everything. It might take some time for that silver lining to emerge but it’s there, somewhere. You’ve just got to look for it.
Are you kind to yourself? Do you have any tips to add?
I’ll be chatting about a couple of the above points during my workshop at the upcoming Coffee With Kirsten fundraiser event.
Tickets are almost sold out so if you’d like to join us, you’d better be quick!
Grab your spot today by clicking here or completing the eventbrite order form below. I can’t wait to see you there x
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