World Kindness Day is a global day that aims to create a kinder world and to highlight the value of kindness in society. Its mission is to inspire individuals and nations towards greater kindness by increasing the number of thoughtful acts that take place nationwide and making kindness a greater part of day to day life.
Many of us aim to show kindness to others and part of World Kindness Day involves pledging to do a good deed for someone else, but what about being kind to ourselves? Being kinder to yourself can help to reduce levels of anxiety and depression as well as improve your ability to cope with everyday life. It can also boost your self-esteem which in turn improves relationships with others and equips us to deal with new experiences.
So it is important to learn how to be kind to yourself every day, not just on one day of the year. In this post, we will look at ways to be nice to yourself, so that you can add to the goodness of the world.
How to be kind to yourself
Without further ado, here are the best ways to show yourself kindness:
Do something you love each day
Make time for yourself every day – take a lunch break, go for a walk, chat to a friend, carve out some time in the evening or weekend – time just for you. Use it to do something you love doing – not something you should do.…and don’t feel guilty!
Focus on the positive
Nobody’s perfect. Accept that you will get things wrong sometimes or make the wrong decisions – this is totally normal! Focus on what you have done well, acknowledge your achievements and accept compliments when they happen, whether at work or in your private life.
Think about what YOU want and need
It is easy to get caught up with thinking about what we don’t want, but we must ask ourselves what we do want too. Take some time to think about your own needs and ambitions. Remember this is not what you think you should want or what others want for you. Now think about taking actions towards those goals, breaking them down into manageable steps. Focus on achieving small goals each day but don’t be disheartened if things take longer than you hoped for. Showing kindness to yourself includes being patient with yourself.
Look after yourself
If at all possible, eat well, sleep well and take regular exercise. Avoid self-medicating with alcohol/drugs. Fresh air and daylight have a huge impact on our positivity, especially in the winter months. Ensure you prioritise your own physical health as this can have a huge impact on your mental wellbeing. However, do not be hard on yourself when some of these things slip, as that is very natural and we cannot be our best at all times.
Be inspired
Look for new ways to be inspired and challenged. Try learning a new skill or language or identify some training at work that may enhance your role. Learning and knowledge can really help to promote good well-being, especially at work. Allow yourself time to seek inspiration from those around you, whether colleagues or friends. Taking on a new challenge can be hugely rewarding.
Don’t compare yourself to others
This is far easier said than done. It is human nature to compare ourselves against others, but this can be detrimental to our self-esteem. Keep things in perspective and remember we are all different. Celebrate your own achievements as well as those of others.
Do a good deed
Being good to yourself increases your capacity and willingness to help others. Being kind to others, whether strangers or friends, helps you feel good about yourself – it strengthens your relationships and improves your self-esteem. It can be tiny noticeable things like paying someone a compliment, sending an uplifting message to a friend or it could be buying a stranger a coffee. Why not pledge to carry out an act of kindness for World Kindness Day?
Here is the link to the World Kindness Day where you can find some inspiring ideas.
Ready to be kind to yourself?
Showing yourself kindness can be a difficult task, particularly when you feel that you are perhaps not worthy of it. However, we all deserve kindness, especially from ourselves, as every other aspect of our lives starts from right here. So be kind to yourself, be kind to others, be kind to the planet, and improve your life in ways small and big.
