Practice Being Kind - to Yourself
In honour of the annual Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Week 2021
Practice Being Kind—to Yourself
It pays to start small to establish daily routines that foster self-love and self-care, so that we can strike out to accomplish our dreams with a clear head and a strong heart.
Try adding one of these self-care practices to your daily routine.
A Morning Ritual
Introducing positive energy to your day right from the start! Connecting with yourself first—and then the world.
DO meditate, journal, practice yoga, stretch or drink a cup of coffee (or tea) in your favourite space in your home. Try setting an intention for your day. This can be something as simple as making a note to reach out to a friend you have not heard from in a while.
DO NOT start by checking your phone or tablet for messages, emails, to-do lists and the news.
Take Breaks and Remember to Pause
Life is not a productivity or efficiency competition.
DO set aside time for breaks, both from work and from the screens in your life. Make time for meals and snacks. Make time to cuddle your pets, partners and children. Make time to stare vaguely out the window at nothing. Pause during your day to take a few deep breaths and bring your thoughts back to the present.
DO NOT stuff every minute of every day with tasks. Your self-worth does not depend on your productivity. That basket of laundry can wait. The clutter on that table isn’t going anywhere.
Gratitude
Practicing gratitude is believed to promote happiness.
DO remember how grateful you are for everything you have, including yourself. Take the time to appreciate something you love about yourself. Perhaps your sense of humour, your big heart and your unique talents.
DO NOT let your critical inner voice distract you from how great you are and how much you have accomplished.
Bedtime Ritual
Improving the quality of your sleep by developing a “wind-down” routine.
DO read a good book, take a relaxing bath, journal, meditate or practice a restorative yoga pose like Inclined Savasana or Supported Child’s Pose (both easy and relaxing poses that tap into your parasympathetic nervous system to calm the mind and body).
DO NOT watch TV until you are near exhaustion, or use your phone or computer and get caught up on newsfeeds and social media. Electronic devices emit a blue-light that suppresses our melatonin secretion and actively compromises our quality of sleep.
Most importantly, be kind to yourself if today was not a good day. There is always tomorrow.
Every day is a new beginning.
- Written by Jiji Diaz To