Treat Yourself Like A Friend

Right now, self-compassion is more important than ever. The truth is, even if you don’t know anyone personally who has been affected by COVID-19 or many of the other global issues going on right now, you’ve had to adapt to a completely new lifestyle.

I really dislike the notion of, “Well, I don’t have it as bad as ____”.

Just because the worst possible thing is not happening to you doesn’t mean you aren’t experiencing a difficult time. 

It might even be that your difficulty is completely unrelated to the pandemic, and that is okay.

If one of your closest friends was feeling down on themselves, and feeling guilty for not being as productive as they could have been, how would you react?

You’d probably say something like...

“It’s okay, we are all facing something completely unprecedented right now, no one is expecting you to be operating at 100%, that’s just unrealistic.”

Sooooooo…..

Why wouldn’t you extend yourself the same kindness?

Self-care doesn’t always have to be bubble baths, music, and candles. 

Sometimes self-care is as simple as treating yourself like you would a friend.

It can be very difficult to make this mindset shift, however, it is one of the most useful techniques in self-compassion.

Next time you’re feeling disappointed in yourself for not finishing something, or just feeling exhausted from everything, imagine a close friend is in the exact situation.
What would you say to them?
It’s really not fair to yourself if you treat everyone in your life - friends, family, strangers even - with kindness and compassion and don’t treat yourself the same way.
Even if it may seem obvious, sometimes you can get a little lost or stray from this habit, (I know I’ve been there!).
And sometimes all you need is a little reminder to be as kind to yourself as you are to everyone else.