Don’t be so hard on yourself!

I took a class back in 2015 and one of the first topics of the class was Self-Compassion, you know — giving yourself some room and cutting yourself a break. I think that people, in general, tend to be pretty hard on themselves… I’m not sure if it’s our society and the rise of social media which has created the urge to “compete” with how great our lives are, but the result is that when things go sour, a lot of people turn on themselves first. Shaming, blaming, and other hurtful thoughts enter our minds before we give anyone else the chance to. Well, people can be mean sometimes, but we can be meaner to ourselves…. because we know our weaknesses.

So, I’ve taken the Dr. Kristen Neff’s Self-Compassion Quiz and I came up very short…. I learned that I was my own worst enemy! Here are some exercises that she recommends, and now I do too.

Regardless, here’s a really funny song that, I think, explains how a lot of people feel about themselves when they make a mistake. Give yourself a break, people. Acknowledge your part in whatever you are dealing with, and then find the best way to move on. Life can be tough, don’t make it harder than it needs to be. 🙂