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Self Compassion and patience

Forgiving and nurturing yourself can set the stage for better health, relationships, and general well-being. Self-compassion yields a number of benefits, including lower levels of anxiety and depression. Self-compassionate people recognize when they are suffering and are kind to themselves at these times, which reduces their anxiety and related depression.

While some people come by self-compassion naturally, others have to learn it. Luckily, it is a learnable skill.

Harvard psychologist Christopher Germer, in his book The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion, suggests that there are five ways to bring self-compassion into your life: via physical, mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual methods. He and other experts have proposed a variety of ways to foster self-compassion. Here are a few:

Comfort your body. Eat something healthy. Lie down and rest your body. Massage your own neck, feet, or hands. Take a walk. Anything you can do to improve how you feel physically gives you a dose of self-compassion.
Write a letter to yourself. Describe a situation that caused you to feel pain (a breakup with a lover, a job loss, a poorly received presentation). Write a letter to yourself describing the situation without blaming anyone. Acknowledge your feelings.
Give yourself encouragement. If something bad or painful happens to you, think of what you would say to a good friend if the same thing happened to him or her. Direct these compassionate responses toward yourself.
Practice mindfulness. This is the nonjudgmental observation of your own thoughts, feelings, and actions, without trying to suppress or deny them. When you look in the mirror and don't like what you see, accept the bad with the good with a compassionate attitude.

By: Harvard Health (https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/the-power-of-self-compassion)

SIMPLE SELF-CARE HABITS

What are the 7 pillars of self-care?

Each method of self-care fits into one of the seven pillars: mental, emotional, physical, environmental, spiritual, recreational, and social. A well-balanced self-care routine involves each of these, so avoid restricting yourself to just one or two pillars.

Self-Care Activities

Be in the present moment.
Stay connected to your breath.
Listen to your body.
Reflect on what brings you joy.
Go for a walk in nature.
Stay properly hydrated.
Spend time in the sun.
Engage in regular exercise.
Get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
Spend time with your pet.
Play a musical instrument.
Make daily meditation a habit.
Journal your thoughts and spend time reading.
Take a soothing bath.

CALMING BREATHING TECHNIQUES

This deep breathing technique uses imagery or focus words and phrases.

You can choose a focus word that makes you smile, feel relaxed, or is simply neutral. Examples include peace, let go, or relax, but it can be any word that suits you to focus on and repeat through your practice.

As you build up your breath focus practice, you can start with a 10-minute session. Gradually increase the duration until your sessions are at least 20 minutes.

To do it:

Sit or lie down in a comfortable place.
Bring your awareness to your breaths without trying to change how you’re breathing.
Alternate between normal and deep breaths a few times. Notice any differences between normal breathing and deep breathing. Notice how your abdomen expands with deep inhalations.
Note how shallow breathing feels compared to deep breathing.
Practice your deep breathing for a few minutes.
Place one hand below your belly button, keeping your belly relaxed, and notice how it rises with each inhale and falls with each exhale.
Let out a loud sigh with each exhale.
Begin the practice of breath focus by combining this deep breathing with imagery and a focus word or phrase that will support relaxation.
You can imagine that the air you inhale brings waves of peace and calm throughout your body. Mentally say, “Inhaling peace and calm.”
Imagine that the air you exhale washes away tension and anxiety. You can say to yourself, “Exhaling tension and anxiety.”