Being Kind To Ourselves

“Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.” Theodore Isaac Rubin

This is Day 19 of a 31 day series on Biblical kindness. You can find the rest of the posts here!

Who do you say the meanest, nastiest things to? If you are like me, it is yourself! Sometimes it’s that I’m too fat, not a good enough wife or mother, a bad daughter, that I “should be” … The list can go on and on.

I’m sure many of you have seen this 6 minute clip on YouTube with Bob Newhart called “Stop it”!  If you haven’t, take the time to watch it.  It’s hilarious but in many ways it’s so true about how we treat ourselves.  If we’d just “stop it” when we start thinking those destructive thoughts we might just be able to believe that God does in fact, love us with an everlasting love!

As important as it is to show kindness to others, we also need to extend that same kindness to ourselves.  Even when we aren’t as skinny as we think we should be or as the perfect wife, mom, or whatever we get down on ourselves about we are all daughters of God who loves us with an everlasting love.  We need to love ourselves, too!

If you struggle with showing yourself kindness, here are some ideas to start today!

1. Use the self-care calendar that I post on here each month!  I do my best to not only make these projects purposeful but also fun!  Try it out!
2. Allow yourself to pursue your passions!  I love to read.  As a self-care treat for myself I visit the library frequently.  I also take care of my need to read by occasionally rewarding myself with a new book ordered online and I love the Ultimate Bundles.  (Tomorrow I will share why I purchased the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle that’s on sale now!)
3. Get some exercise.  If you are a runner, go for a run!  Swim, bike, take a long leisurely walk.  Whatever it is that makes you happy, do it!
4. Soak up the suds in a nice bubble bath!  Have a good smelling candle or essential oils to relax with and enjoy yourself!  Add in some great smelling bubbles and let Calgon take you away!
5. Create your own spot.  If you’ve ever watched The Big Bang Theory you know what I’m talking about when I tell you about Sheldon’s spot.  When I’m on vacation I love to sit by the ocean.  Maybe you have a patio that you enjoy or a hammock.  Make your own place to relax, pray, and be kind to yourself!
6. Allow yourself to be pampered.  Maybe it’s hard to have any alone time so you schedule a simple haircut that is kid-free (I know how this goes, I got one yesterday!  Those 2 hours alone were glorious!)  You deserve to be pampered occasionally.  I had a friend that used to go to the coffee shop for an hour once a week to enjoy free Wi-Fi and a latte.  I know that it’s hard to afford luxury all the time but please allow yourself a little!
7. Hang around positive people.  Negativity breeds negativity.  As Bob Newhart would say, “STOP IT”!
8. Stop comparing yourself to other people.  This is probably the most important of the list.  When you compare yourself to other people not only will you never feel happy but you will be miserable.  Everyone has their “stuff” they’re dealing with.  Believe it or not, that person you are comparing yourself to probably wishes there was something about your life that he or she had instead.

Are you purposefully and intentionally kind to yourself?  What do you do to show yourself kindness?

To see the other posts in this series click here.

Have you enjoyed what you read here today? Do you have friends or other women you know that could benefit from this resource? If so, please do me a favor! I have included the links below to share with other intentional women! They’ll be glad you did!