Kindness starts with you

We often find it easier to be kind to others and neglect treating ourselves with the same gentleness and understanding. We need to recharge regularly, and that means finding the things that nourish us. These could be activities or passions that make you shine bright.

We need to do something for ourselves just for pleasure. This could be walking to your favourite park, a trip to the beach, or simply lying down and gazing at the sky, watching the clouds as they move.

We need to look at our inner critic and soften our self-talk.

Try to listen to your self-talk and the messages you say to yourself. You might discover how unkind your inner dialogue is, and how much longer it takes to forgive yourself than it does to forgive others. For example, we might give simple advice on healthy eating habits to our loved ones, and if they do not follow our advice we are more forgiving towards them than if it was us in the same position. We will beat ourselves up for not following through.

Be kind to yourself.