It is K for Kindness and here are 40 ways to be kind to yourself.
"The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself." Steve Maraboli
Stress is an integral part of life. But sometimes, it shoots up to such high levels that it gets in the way of our routine and joy. How to overcome it?
By being kind to yourself.
Considering the demands on our time juggling various things such as work and relationships, it is no wonder that self-care is quite low in our priority list. There's never time to give ourselves the attention we truly deserve.
Here are just 40 ways to be kind to yourself
Just before you get out of bed in the morning, treat yourself to a good stretch. It gets your blood circulation going, wakes up your brain and is a wonderful way to connect with your body before you start your day.
2. Drink water
An easy tip but so very valuable. Not drinking enough water has so many health consequences you do not need. Without going into that list, let me just say-drink enough water. It is one of the best ways you can be kind to yourself.
An obvious thing for staying alive, right? But when you breathe consciously, there is a host of benefits. Practice deep breathing when you are stressed or anxious or even bored. Just STOP whatever you are doing. Focus on the present moment and breathe. Make it a habit.
4. Get your 5 a day
The first thing to do to be kind to yourself is eat healthy. Try and get your 5-a-day - five vegetables/fruits. Also, fruits and veg bring plenty of bonus health benefits besides being a tasty way to stay healthy
5. Eat mindfully
Savor each bite of your food and focus on its flavor and how it makes you feel. Welcome the healthy nourishment to your body.
No time is no excuse to not play. Give yourself some time every day to indulge in some kind of play. It can be a board game, enjoying a hobby, cuddling your kids, playing with your pet or even the good ol' pillow fight. Have fun!
7. Give your inner critic a one-way ticket
Let's admit it-we are all slaves to our inner critic, which is often a pretty hard task master. We just can't help being sensitive to it.A gentle judge occasionally is fine, but frequent berating is not good for your happiness. So, be kind to yourself and ignore your inner critic. Praise yourself once in a while to offset that inner talk.
8. Volunteer
Doing things for others is a wonderful way to lift our spirits. So, volunteer. Being kind to others is the perfect way to be kind to yourself.
Nobody's indispensable. That's a hard lesson I learned in the course of my life. So give yourself permission to say no to doing things that don't make you happy. And say yes to what makes you happy.
10. Choose wisely between what you need and what you want
We love ourselves more when we are able to choose wisely, when we make the choice between something that feels good and something that helps us stay strong, focused and move forward in life. When we focus on what we need, we automatically avoid behavior patterns that get us in trouble or keep us stuck in the past.
Consider forgiving yourself and others for whatever needs forgiving. It is in the past. Gone. You can't do anything about that. But you can try to move on by closing that chapter. And you definitely don't want to carry your grudges to the grave, right?
12. Love your body
Embrace the way you look. You are unique and amazing and there is only one of you.
13. Exercise
Activity keeps us healthy. And exercise is a wonderful way to be kind to yourself. Even a 30-minute walk daily helps. Pick something enjoyable. Put on some music and dance. Take the stairs several times to get your cardio dose. Get a stationary bike and pedal away as you watch TV. Just do it.
Hug yourself. Every day. At least once. Hug those close to you, whenever you can. Telling them you love them is great, too.
Every once in a while, disconnect from the internet and all things electronic. Sure, we need these but take a break. Put down your phone. Turn off your computer. Look around you and appreciate the beauty of the physical world. Step out for a moment in nature
16. Listen to your body talk
We lead such busy lives that we often tend to ignore what our body is trying to tell us. When we develop an ache or a pain, we automatically medicate and suppress it. Sometimes, we ignore any warning symptoms until it becomes an emergency situation. Learn to listen to your body. Tired? Take a mini break and rest. Be conscious of how your body feels and be kind to yourself by slowing down.
17. Accept compliments gracefully
How often have you brushed aside a compliment? I know I am guilty of it. When someone says something nice, acknowledge it and accept it graciously. Thank them. You deserve the compliment.
18. Get enough sleep
This one tip alone can keep you from developing a number of health issues. So, make sure you get the sleep you need to actually feel rested and refreshed to face your day. You know how it feels when you don't get enough sleep. If you have habits, issues or concerns that interfere you're your sleep, address them. Pay attention to your sleep needs.
19. Stop complaining
Complaining is a waste of time and energy and hardly helps. And anyway nobody wants to hear it. So why bother? Channel your energy towards more productive things.
20. Acknowledge your emotions
Don't suppress your feelings when you are sad or in pain. Instead of distracting yourself from the way you feel by shopping/eating/drinking or whatever, acknowledge your feelings. Practice mindful breathing to work your way through your emotions. Be kind to yourself by exploring what is inside you and respond with warmth and acceptance.
21. Have that difficult conversation
Don't hold it inside you. Bottling up what you want to say to someone can take its toll on your health. Just take a deep breath and gently say what you need to say. Don't be afraid of the reaction. You've got to have those difficult conversations without putting them off. Do it.
22. Seek help when you need it
If you are going through a tough time and don't know how to handle it, don't hesitate to seek help.
23. Cry when you need to
It is absolutely natural to want to cry occasionally. Give yourself permission to sob your heart out when you are hurting. Crying can relieve stress and make you feel better.
24. Buy yourself flowers
Buy yourself some flowers and put them in a vase on your table. Can go a long way in cheering you up and it is an easy way to be kind to yourself.
25. Walk tall
Posture is an effective way to feel good instantly. Walk tall, walk straight. Look the world in the eye. And smile, please. Practice the two inches taller meditation
26. Be grateful
Make it a habit to count your blessings on a daily basis. Pause for a moment to reflect on all the good things in your life.
27. Schedule some me time
Make a date with yourself. I once did that and had such fun. And I didn't even step out of my home! Spend time with yourself. You don't need an agenda. Just you doing what you want to do. Enjoying a cup of coffee, listening to music, sketching...whatever you like.
Laugh. A lot. Loudly. Regularly. Until your eyes water and your tummy aches. Do whatever it takes to make you laugh. These laughter exercises may help.
29. Enjoy your favorite food
Cook yourself your favorite food and relish it. Don't feel like cooking? Order in. Appreciate your own company!
30. Be yourself
Do what you feel like doing. Don't hold back. Get that crazy hairstyle. Dance when you feel like. Don't worry about what others might think. Truth is, people are too wrapped up in their own stuff to care about what you are doing. Not as much as you think they do, anyway. So . . . enjoy being you!
31. Trust your intuition
Trust your gut. Believe your inner voice. Go with what your instinct tells you. If you listen, it is usually right.
32. Stop trying to control things
Life enjoys throwing its curve balls at us. It enjoys being unpredictable. We know that we cannot control the future. But we can definitely control how we react. Why not accept this fact of life and just learn to live in the present moment instead of worrying all the time?
33. Express your creativity
Express yourself. Write in your diary. Or your blog. Compose music or through stories. Encourage your creative side. The world might benefit and so will you.
34. Dress in what makes you feel best
Dress the way you'd like to dress, the clothes that make you feel yourself most.
35. Say bye-bye to toxic people
Try and avoid people who have no respect for your boundaries or are rude, mean, manipulative or hurtful to you. In short, people who drag you down. If you can reason with them, good. If not, distance yourself. It's sad, but necessary. You have to be kind to yourself.
36. Apologize
If you've done something you are truly sorry for, apologize and make amends. It is human to err. And it is fine to acknowledge it. But don't go apologizing for things that are not your fault.
37. Shift your perspective
When you go through a bad experience, instead of whining "why me" look at what you can learn from the situation and move on.
38. Accept that not everyone will like you
As we go through life, some people will like us. Some people won't. That's perfectly okay. Don't waste your time feeling bad about this. Rather than focus on impressing people, why not use the energy to do something more useful?
39. Pamper yourself occasionally
Yes, treat yourself to a spa day. Or a massage.
40. Speak the truth
I know in life it is not always possible or even wise to be totally honest. But being truthful makes life much easier and much less complicated. Think about it.
Which of these ways are you going to use to be kind to yourself?
Do tell me in the comments.