Looking to be more kind and compassionate with yourself? Often times, we are really hard on ourselves and don’t give ourselves the same kind of love and understanding we give others. On one hand, that could be positive because we hold ourselves to high standards and want to make the best decisions in life.

BUT, at the same time it could be really damaging to our self esteem and confidence. When we’re too hard on ourselves, we end up feeling really bad about mistakes we’ve made and start telling ourselves that we’re not good enough or smart enough or pretty enough. It’s total self sabotage! We end up limiting ourselves and holding ourselves back from achieving our biggest goals and dreams.

That’s why it’s so important to practice self love and all the ways in which we can be kinder and more compassionate with ourselves. Here are 7 ways to do exactly that!

*I’m not a licensed mental health therapist. To find a professional, call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit Betterhelp to get matched with a therapist for affordable online therapy anywhere, at any time. This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

1. Accept and forgive your mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes and mistakes are what help us learn and grow! Without making mistakes, we’ll never learn the lessons we need to grow into better people. Of course, at the time of making a mistake, it can feel like the end of the world. But instead of feeling embarrassed or upset with yourself, try asking, “What’s the lesson here?” Within every mistake, there’s always something important to learn.

2. Practice regular self care

I’m a huge advocate for self care and believe it’s the best way to treat burnout, exhaustion, and stress! Self care can be anything from a bath to a night out at a concert. It’s doing whatever you need to do to take care of yourself and feed your soul.

As an introvert, self care to me often looks like spending quality time alone with a book or outside in nature. But for an extrovert, self care might be planning a party or a trip with your friends. For more self care ideas, check out 12 Ideas for a Perfect Nightly Self Care Routine.

3. Listen to your body and it’s needs

Our bodies are constantly sending us little signals that we’re tired, or thirsty, or hungry, or stressed. But we can become so busy and distracted that we stop paying attention. This is where mindfulness can come in! Mindfulness is the practice of bringing your awareness to the present moment.

One mindfulness activity that I like to practice is the body scan. Start by bringing your awareness to the tips of your toes slowly move up through each body part until you get to the top of your head. With each body part, bring your awareness to any tension, tightness, or sensation you notice.

Doing a body scan always helps me realize parts of my body that I need to stretch, or parts of my body that feel too cold or too warm. For more information about mindfulness, check out What is Mindfulness? + 7 Easy Mindfulness Activities to Try Daily

4. Place boundaries and know when to say no

Another important way to be kinder and more compassionate with yourself is by placing boundaries and knowing when to say no! Are you taking on too many responsibilities? Are you saying yes to more hours at work or saying yes to plans with friends even though you’re exhausted.

Personally I tend to be a people pleaser meaning I like to make other people happy. If someone asks for help on a project or asks me to pick up extra hours at work, it can be really difficult for me to say no. I don’t want to let anyone down and I genuinely like pushing myself to take on a lot of responsibilities and achieve as much as possible.

But it’s so important to know your own boundaries and when to say no, because if you’re constantly saying yes, you’re going to burn yourself out! You’re going to feel irritated, resentful, and exhausted. So know your own personal boundaries and know that it’s not selfish to put yourself first.

5. Challenge yourself and know when to say yes

On the other end of the spectrum, it’s also important to know when it’s time to push yourself and say yes! Maybe you shy away from leaving your comfort zone and you say no to opportunities often. But part of being kind and compassionate to yourself is knowing when to say yes, and when to allow other people and opportunities to come into your life.

Some of my most amazing and transformative opportunities in life have come after deciding to take a risk and say yes, even if it felt uncomfortable and scary!

6. Practice gratitude for yourself and your life

Another way to practice being kind and compassionate to yourself is remembering to feel grateful for all that you are and all that you have. As someone who loves personal development, I feel like I’m constantly trying to become a better version of myself. I’m always asking myself things like, “How can I make more money or be healthier or be a better person?” While it’s great to want to improve, it can also be counterproductive, because I end up focusing on all the things I lack, instead of focusing on all that I have!

If you’re looking to practice more gratitude in your life, check out my Free Gratitude Journal Prompt Printables!

7. Recognize your strengths and how far you’ve come

Along the same lines, it’s important to recognize just how far you’ve come in life! In the moment, it can be hard to remember all of the progress and important strides you’ve made. We often get stuck on how far we have to go, instead of remembering how far we’ve come. Part of being kind and compassionate to yourself is recognizing your strengths and all the ways in which you’ve overcome difficult times and grown into the person you are today.

To recap, being kind and compassionate with yourself is essential to growing your self esteem and confidence. It’s so important to give yourself the same kind of understanding you give others, so that you can grow into the best person you can be. Without self love and self care, we end up feeling burnt out, resentful, and unworthy.

So accept and forgive your mistakes, practice regular self care, listen to your body and it’s needs, place boundaries and know when to say no, challenge yourself and know when to say yes, practice gratitude, and recognize just how far you’ve come.

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