feel as we focus on everyone else ’ s needs . It is critical to honor ourselves by acknowledging the variety of feelings we are having . Developing the capacity to hold the complexity of what you are feeling will support you in processing your feelings and encouraging yourself to grow .
Self-compassion will also inspire you to give yourself grace in the process rather than judging yourself and expecting yourself to be perfect . Self-compassion will allow you to acknowledge what you have done well rather than looking for evidence that you are not good enough . Self-compassion acts like a healing salve for our broken hearts that come from all the pain and suffering that results from being human on this planet .
Some self-nurturing practices to support you in nurturing your self-compassion are journaling , talking to a trusted friend , pausing to check in with how you are feeling , treating yourself with kindness , writing yourself a permission slip to treat yourself with compassion , and intentionally using affirming and encouraging words with yourself .
2 . Give yourself affirming messages :
Using affirmations can be incredibly supportive and with practice can transform your inner critic and neural pathways . We know from brain research that negativity is like Velcro ® on the brain while positivity is like Teflon ® and needs to be reinforced . Therefore , we need to give ourselves many encouraging messages throughout the day to counter all the negative limiting thoughts we have . Some examples are : “ I love and accept myself . You can do this . You are making great progress . I believe in you . You ’ ve got this !”
To transform your limiting beliefs about yourself that are reinforced by your inner critic , identify the words your inner critic uses most often and replace them with a positive affirmation . Embody your inner mentor and have a dialog with your inner critic , challenging the self-doubting thoughts that keep you stuck . Then take the encouraging words your inner mentor used and create an inspiring affirmation .
You have the power to transform your inner critic by developing an inner mentor that is kind , compassionate , and encouraging . You can choose what messages you listen to so create a practice of giving yourself affirming messages and make that your self-nurturing habit . Write out your affirmations on index cards and place them on your mirror , on your desk , in your car , or anywhere you will see and read them often . Try using your name with these affirming messages and see how that feels . To amplify the positive impact read your affirmations out loud in front of a mirror on a regular basis .
3 . Acknowledge your growth and accomplishments :
Mentors highlight your strengths . They focus on your progress and growth . They encourage you to identify your