Be Kind and Loving Toward Yourself

Hello there! How are you feeling today?

It’s okay if you don’t feel up to the mark. Quite normal.

Take a break. Maybe 5 minutes.

Close your eyes, sit erect and breathe in slowly, hold your breath — count in mind, slowly 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 — breathe out slowly. Watch your breath. Repeat. Complete 5 sets. Then walk a few steps, take a round wherever you are. No hurry.

Get back to what you were doing.

Drink a glass of water. Or a cuppa of your favorite hot beverage.

You feel slightly better.

I promise!!

Have courage and be kind. For where there is kindness there is goodness, and where there is goodness there is magic- ‘Cinderella’ from The Giant Fairy Tales

In the pursuit of being kind to others, we tend to forget to be kind to ourselves.

Some days are simply hard. We hear you.

How about gifting some self-kindness/self-love/self-compassion?

Surprised or anxious?

Don’t be, please!

Don’t you ever feel that in that self-compassionate spree, you would become self-indulgent!

Higher levels of self-compassion are associated with the increased feelings of happiness, optimism, curiosity and connectedness as well as decreased anxiety, depression, rumination and fear of failure.

His Holiness Dalai Lama is perhaps the best-known face of compassion in the modern world. Revered as a hero, he is worshipped by millions of people across the globe for his caring, compassionate stance.

The act of self-compassion is strongly associated with psychological well-being. Small acts have a ripple effect. That’s how we change the world and make it a better place to live in for us and for our future generations. That warm, fuzzy feeling will lead you to a beautiful mindset altogether.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion- Dalai Lama

When we ignore our self-care needs, it only hampers our emotional growth.

1. Self-love- Nothing is worth-sacrificing than your well being. No matter what your brain might tell you, you are worth taking care of. Continue to show up for yourself and prioritize your health — physical and mental.
2. Breathe- You’ve dealt with tough times before and you might have to do it again. Breathe and know you can survive this too. These feelings can’t break you.
3. Let go- One of the hardest lessons in life is letting go — betrayal, guilt, loss — change is never easy. Still, we need to practice hard for our good self. The more we practice, the better for us.
4. Don’t rush- You don’t need to rush as you see others moving fast. It’s your life, it’s your journey. Live it at your own pace.
5. Learn daily- Learn a language, own a hobby, try some culinary delight — don’t keep your brain idle for too long. You are a unique, beautiful individual who continues to attract positive energy into your life.
6. It’s ok not to be ok sometimes- Cry and crumble. Feel low. It’s ok to be imperfect. You are no God. That’s what makes us human.

Remember the airplane rule? Fix your own oxygen mask first before helping others with it.

Similarly, take care of your own emotional and physical wellbeing first. Then you can jolly well take care of others — even if it is as small as like holding the door for the person behind you or maybe let someone into your lane.

Talk to yourself once in a day, otherwise you may miss meeting an intelligent person in this world- Swami Vivekananda

Like smile, kindness is available for free. So don’t hesitate to sprinkle it everywhere unwaveringly and then delight in what happens next. You won't regret and that's a promise!

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Originally written as Gift Yourself Kindness with a Dash of Goodness