“While self-kindness undoubtedly includes helping our body and mind recuperate and thrive, we can make great leaps in our wellbeing in the way that we treat ourselves,” says Natalie Lue, for In The Moment magazine. “It’s noticing how our decisions and choices reflect our expectations.” Self-kindness is something that we struggle with when we are attempting to recover from an addiction or traumatic event. We often tell ourselves that we should “just get over it” and “move on.” It’s more complicated than that, though. We must give ourselves the time we need to process what we’ve been through and create a space of kindness for ourselves. Continue reading to learn more about what self-kindness means for your recovery.
“Often, it’s not so much what we do, but why we do it.”
For example, we may want to do whatever we can to help out a friend in need. This is a nice thing to do for others. However, if we are helping a friend at the expense of ourselves, that can be detrimental. Even kind actions can have negative consequences for our future selves. “Doing ‘more’ won’t make us feel more worthy.” It’s like the age-old saying: sometimes less is more.
It’s more than small acts of self-care
Often, we are very good at practicing small acts of self-care. We might schedule a massage in our free time or set aside a time to work on a hobby we love. These things are great! However, you cannot limit your self-kindness to small acts of self-care. It’s more than that. You must be willing to take a look at the big picture. Consider the different parts of our lives where we may not be kind to ourselves. For example, you may put extra stress on yourself at work by berating yourself for every tiny mistake you make. No amount of massages will solve this tension. Today, take a look at the different areas of your life where you might not be so kind to yourself. Create a list of things you should be doing instead.
Arbor Behavioral Healthcare knows that you may ignore your successes and focus on your failures. This is why we want to help you celebrate yourself. We want to help you learn to be kinder to yourself. Call us today at 844-413-2690. We can’t wait to speak with you today!