Learning to Be Kind to Yourself
It can be difficult to feel like being kind to yourself when you have a body that doesn’t behave the way it should. However, it’s your body, and it’s the only one that you’ve got.
Codie shares her tips on how to be kind to yourself despite fibromyalgia.
The best thing you can do is be kind to yourself.
One of the most important ways is the way in which you talk to yourself, both the way you talk about yourself to other people and your internal way of thinking about yourself and then speaking about yourself.
Focus On the Things You Can Do
It’s important to try not to focus on the things you can’t do, and think about all the things you can do and the things you do on a daily basis. Perhaps, for you, a big achievement is making a phone call or getting out of bed or doing a food shop.
Be Proud of Yourself
Whatever it may be, congratulate yourself, reward yourself, be proud of yourself for doing something great. Don’t compare yourself to other people and what they could achieve. Think about what’s a big deal for you and the things that you can do.
One good way of doing this is to perform positive affirmations. You can make these as big and extravagant as you like, or you can just remind yourself that you’re great.
Some people tend to have some, perhaps, written on postcards or post-it notes just around their home or you can look into a mirror and tell yourself, and you have to believe, “I’m a good person, “and today I’m going to be amazing. “I can do anything if I try.”
Things like that, whatever works for you. Some people might feel silly doing that, but for some people, it works well. Studies show that the more you say something, the more it becomes true of yourself.
Try to Not Say Bad Things About Yourself
Try hard not to say bad things about yourself. One of the best quotes or one of the best concepts I have heard is, “Treat yourself like a small child.” Although that sounds bizarre, the thoughts behind it are great.
Take Care of Yourself
So make sure you get plenty of sleep, make sure you get good food, make sure you’re kind to yourself, you say kind words, you congratulate yourself, and let yourself off the hook if you can’t do something, or you find something difficult, or you do something wrong, because you’re a human, and that’s what we do.
Remember to Give Yourself a Break
Try not to berate yourself too much. Give yourself a break. Things are complicated. If everything gets on top of you, it’s okay to have a break. You haven’t failed.
With some things, it’s your body’s way of telling you to slow down, and you’ve taken on too much, so make sure you listen to it. Go outside into nature, go for a walk, or, if you can’t, just open a window, bring some fresh air into your life. It will help a lot.
Sing as loud as you can, cry as hard as you need to. Do not apologize for either of these things.
