Self Compassion
Let’s talk about compassion for a bit, specifically self compassion.
I want you to think about this question.. Do you give other people compassion but skip out on yourself?
If so, Why are you so easily able to give compassion to everyone around you, except yourself?
When we work on building trust (and yes this include body trust) we cannot forget ourselves. We cannot trust ourselves if we’re constantly being down on ourselves. Now I’m not talking about lack of accountability. I’m talking about the way we speak to ourselves in the good times and bad.
Questions to ponder:
What’s your inner voice like?
Are you kind and caring toward yourself?
Does your inner voice sound familiar to you?
If so, who's voice is it?
Do you speak the same way to other people the way you do to yourself?
Whats the tone of your voice?
Is your voice more compassionate or critical?
Is your voice judgmental and harsh?
Practicing self compassion means you give yourself the same grace you’d give a close friend or loved one. It means validation of emotions and experience. And yes, you can still be accountable for things… this is where the trust part comes into play. HOWEVER, you can also be understanding, validating and compassionate to yourself even during times of accountability.
Rule of thumb: If you wouldn’t say it to someone else because it would be mean, don’t say it to yourself.
Therapist Tip: Journaling can really help with this! Write out what you’d say to a loved one going through a similar situation. Or write our what you’d say to a small child (or even you as a child) to help build connection and compassion. This is an essential step to healing your relationship with yourself, with food and with your body.
Self compassion can be a hard thing to practice especially if you’re used to being so hard on yourself. I want you to know you’re not alone. This does take practice. But I promise, it will be worth it in the end!
Practice being your own best friend.
Practice having your own back.
Practice validating your emotions.
Practice giving yourself space and grace.
Practice having gentle accountability.
Cheers to Mental Health and Compassion!
