Our successes and failures come and go—they neither define us nor do they determine our worthiness.
-Kristin Neff
So often when life is going well, when we’re thriving and our lives have a good flow day in and day out, it’s easier to be loving and kind towards ourselves and others. But, what about those times when life isn’t going so well, when we’re in survival move and our lives don’t have a good flow? Here it often becomes much harder to be loving and kind towards ourselves and others. And yet, when we’re in struggle, this is often when we need loving kindness more than ever, internally as well as externally in our lives.
In this blog, I’ll be discussing in my typical short, concise way: what loving kindness towards yourself may sound like, what loving kindness towards others may sounds like, and self-care ideas to help add more loving kindness into your life. I hope some (if not all) of these tips are helpful and resonate with you moving forward in your own life!
Loving kindness towards yourself may sound like:
- I am enough
- I am worthy
- I live in my own truth
- I am compassionate
- I am love
- I know myself (better than anyone else knows me!)
- I own my true story
- I am authentically me
What else would you add here?
Loving kindness towards others may sound like:
- You are enough
- You are worthy
- You matter
- Your story is important
- You are loved (so very loved!!)
- You are caring and compassionate
- You are valued
- You are seen, heard and understood
What else would you add to this list?
Self-care ideas to help add more loving kindness into your life:
- Go for a walk outside
- Talk to a trusted therapist
- Notice your surroundings
- Journal and write about it
- Educate yourself on loving kindness
- Do something creative
- Listen to your favorite music, podcast or audio book
- Stretch your body
- Connect with dear friends
What self-care ideas would you add to this list that help you add more loving kindness into your own life (especially when you’re in struggle)?
If you’re currently living in survival mode ,just getting through your days as best you can, you may feel like there’s not a lot of loving kindness in your life right now. Know that you’re not alone, and that we all go through similar life struggles at different times in our lives, often with life transition and losses. If you need more help and support in your life today, please reach out to your doctor or a therapist in your area. Know that I’m thinking of you and sending lots of love and compassion your way!
