Mastering the art of kindness towards ourselves is a journey. Our own expectations of ourselves and the expectations we believe others have of us cause us to be hard on ourselves. We want to achieve, want to prove things, and we become our own worst critics. So, we keep going until something stops us in our tracks. For many people I’ve talked to, including yours truly, it was burnout or a health scare. In fact, that’s what led me to ayurveda.

Being kind to ourselves as a form of self-care. There are many ways to practice it, here are 5 on top of my list, and some of my hardest personal lessons:

1. Give yourself a B on something—and forgive yourself for it

In a world where giving 110% earns you a badge of honor, the idea of doing less can feel uncomfortable. But, pulling back now from going at full speed can exponentially increase your output—and life satisfaction—later on. It’s ok to slow down. So, give yourself a B on something and forgive yourself for it.

2. Say no

Every time you say “yes” to something, you say “no” to something else. Think about what you’re saying “no” to. What brings you health?

As Augusten Burroughs, an American writer, put it, “when you have your health, you have everything. When you do not have your health, nothing else matters at all.”

Prioritizing things, practices and experiences that help improve your health is not selfish. It gives us the opportunity to recharge our batteries so we can be a better version of ourselves that will benefit people around us, too. And sometimes saying “no” is the best thing you can do.

3. Hit the pause button

I must admit, this is one of my favorite topics to write about. As a long-time member of “corporate America”, I know all too much about rushing from meeting to meeting and being pulled into a million directions. So, it’s no surprise that (writing about) taking breaks, from microbreaks and digital detox time to 24-hour recharges and full-on vacations, is near and dear to my heart.

You may also like to read about 5 work habits that we think make us more productive but they actually don’t.

4. Respect your biological needs

How many times did you hear growing up, or maybe even now, “honey, please hold your pee”, “don’t yawn”, and so on.

But, believe it or not, honoring our biological needs has a cumulative effect on our health. I blogged about the 14 natural urges we should not ignore and the possible imbalances they could lead to if ignored over a longer period of time.

5. Enforce your boundaries

First, have boundaries. Second, enforce them. Know what your non-negotiables are and make it clear. Some people are really good at doing this, some of us are learning. It takes practice. The truth is as we get better at this, it will become easier to say “no”, too.

What do you do to be kinder to yourself? Share in the comments below.

Image by nappy, Pexels