Have a Little More Than Just a Little Bit of This

Have a little more than just a little bit of this: Self Compassion.

It is somehow written in our DNA to be hard on ourselves. There’s one thing we can’t have enough of and that’s self compassion.

Think of how monks use to starve and beat themselves to maintain self discipline. It’s a part of the Catholic order for priests to take the vow of chastity and deny themselves sex. (That hasn’t worked too well, has it?)

I’d say it also takes self awareness, life balance and healthy practices to have a little more than a little bit of self compassion.

Do you think you can begin to soften the whip from horse hair to spaghetti?

Can you reframe your need to beat yourself down in order to elevate your spirit? Can you say some positive things to yourself instead of being negative?

My daughter sent me a text message the other day saying: “Mom, how is it that I’ve grown into a woman that holds myself to such high standards?”

And, I thought to myself: “Well, of course you do! It’s how you’ve been raised.”

But, my best advice is always this: Do your best, love, and let go of the rest.

(You can let the horse whip go!)

Be as gentle with yourself as you are with your child when they fall down.

Beating yourself up only beats you down.

Here are my top 10 ways to have a little more than a little bit of Self Compassion:

1. Notice when you’re being hard on yourself and stop. Get off the beat yourself up bandwagon. It doesn’t serve you.
2. Spend some time in nature each day—even if it means taking in the sunrise or sunset from hotel window or balcony.
3. Be gentle with yourself. Pretend you are offering a friend gentle guidance and journal your reflections.
4. Give yourself the gift of laughter or the gift of a good cry. It’s so cleansing to allow yourself the release of your emotions.
5. Eat whole and clean foods by giving up processed food. You will feel more alive as you nourish your body well.
6. Get good sleep. Research shows that our sleep affects our attitude, our weight and our memory. Sleep more not less.
7. Do something every day that nourishes your heart and soul—something for you!
8. Keep moving. Moving your body is key to keeping your energy positive and fresh.
9. Do something new every week. Get out of your comfort zone. You will feel more alive!
10. Celebrate your life. You have so much to be grateful for. Adopting an attitude of gratitude will feed your soul with all the good stuff!

The greatest thing about self compassion is that you will have a little more than a little bit of compassion and understanding for others as you offer this gift to yourself.

Self compassion is essential to living your most vibrant life.