We all have blocks around taking care of ourselves, and when we don’t know how to take care of ourselves, we need to learn how to increase our ability to receive kindness.
Sometimes we believe being kind to ourselves is tuning out and doing automatic things like watching Netflix or scrolling Instagram.
Being kind to ourselves requires being present and engaged. We have to do something. But we sometimes feel like actively doing something for ourselves feels selfish. To get around this, it can help to ask what we would do or give to a friend who is in the situation we are in. It can teach us how to take care of ourselves with more than cursory basics.
We can also appreciate the experience of doing something kind for other people and know that it’s also serving us as we do it.
When doing the thing you thought would be rewarding feels more like a burden or a chore or even a punishment, ask, “What would it take to enjoy this?” Giving your brain a possibility to think on that asks what positive could be experienced can break up the stress and agony. Plus, it can shake you out of it enough to discover why you wanted to do it in the first place and let you reconnect with that desire, which helps it become rewarding again.
We constantly have an inner dialogue building meaning about what’s happening around us. It’s a lot of noise, and the more you’re capable of being with those thoughts and being present with them, the kinder you can be to and with yourself.
It’s a misconception that kindness is easy or always feels good. Kindness is caring, giving nourishment, acknowledging your needs, and giving yourself the best response you can.
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Thanks for listening!
