How to be kind to yourself

Learning to be kind to yourself is a powerful part of your healing journey. We are always with ourselves. We can cause great damage, such as self-criticism, judgment, and ignoring physical and emotional needs. We can also provide great comfort.

Being kind to yourself is a skill you can build. It takes time and, like any other skill, it becomes easier with practice.

The first step is to practice consciousness. When are you ignoring yourself? When am I mean to myself? You may catch your thoughts as saying something that hurts your thoughts (I can’t believe you said it) or saying negative self-judgment (“You’re so stupid”). You can also identify behaviors that go against your needs, such as going out when you don’t want to, or saying yes to a project when you’re already overwhelmed. The first step to being kind to yourself is to recognize that you are unkind. Raising this awareness can occur during journaling, conversations with trusted friends and family, or during conversations with trusted friends and family. Treatment.

The second step is to separate from the unkind voice. This can be approached in several different ways.

1. Neuroscience Approach

Your unkind thoughts come from an automated thinking network called “Default Mode Network“(DMN). Compared to other thinking networks (“Central Executive Networks” or CEN), it is relatively primitive, reminiscent of an era of hunter-gathering, conditioned on the acceptance of survival by the clan. DMN does not create these spirals.dmn!), you place a space between you and this negative voice.

When DMN is running, try focusing on something else. Put you Note Activate CEN with something and turn off DMN. These networks are like light switches. When one is running, the other is off and vice versa. Entering into the “present moment” has become a popular wellness concept, as it is Senhack. DMN lives in the past and the future; Mindful What’s going on in “Now” turns on Cen.

2. Treatment approach

Another way to separate it from an unkind voice is to consider it a “part.” In a common treatment called an internal family system (IFS), a person is recognized as a group of parts. for example, Inner child I represent you at a young age, manager Set rules and habits to keep running effectively in the environment, Firefighter Protect you when you are in real danger. Then there is the self. In other words, it’s the part you love everything, know everything, it’s not a part of you, it’s the part you observe. When you are unkind to yourself, it is usually manager or Firefighter Someone who believes that it protects you. They will overwork you, accept things you don’t want to do, and encourage you to really hide your feelings.

Next time you’re struggling with yourself, talk to that voice. What is trying to protect you? How do you feel it is helping? See if you have access to the self by connecting with deeper, quieter, and loving parts of yourself. As a self, provide negative partial compassion. It did my best to help. The self can tell the part that it can stop working hard. As the self takes care of us, the part can sit and calm, bringing peace and comfort.

Whether you use your self-critical thoughts to dismiss Neuroscience You can use IFS to get closer to compassion for your parts, or achieve the same goal and help you “break” with self-criticism. If you stop believing that negative thoughts are true, you are less likely to spiral.

If this process appears insurmountable or becomes uncomfortable, Mental Health Experts. Taking these steps with a counselor who can hold space and provide support along the way is powerful.