22 Unusual Ways To Be Gentle With Yourself

Do you often say mean and unkind words to yourself? Would you ever speak to a friend, your mother, or your child in that way? Of course, you wouldn’t! In this post, I will show you how to get rid of the negative nelly for good and how to be gentle with yourself instead, in more ways than one. 

How to be gentle with yourself 

  1. Speak kindly to yourself 

    I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve caught myself speaking unkindly to myself. It can be anything from: 

    You idiot.
    You’re just a mess.
    You’re too fat.
    You’re not a good mom.
    You’re not good at that.
    I wish I could be like such and such a person.
    You’re not a good wife.
    You’re just stupid.
    You look ugly today.
    Why are you wearing that? You look ridiculous.
    What a silly thing to do.
    You can’t do that 

    These are just some things that go through my head every day, seemingly on a constant loop. I’ve lost some confidence since having the kids and have to fight to stop these negative thoughts.

    If you catch yourself thinking unkind thoughts about yourself, try to replace them with things you like about yourself.

  2. Look after your body. 

    I can hear you all groaning when I say this, but looking after your body and having a healthy heart is one of the best ways to be gentle with yourself. 

    Don’t drink too much, don’t smoke too much, and exercise just a little. It can make such a massive difference to the way you feel daily. Some tiny changes each day can make an enormous difference to your overall health.

    Walk a little every day, fresh air, and a little time outside is the perfect way to recharge your ever-depleting batteries. 

    Eat a little extra fruit and veg. Don’t force yourself to eat stuff you don’t like. Just swap a few unhealthy items with the fruit and veg you enjoy.

    If you want to see a fantastic trick I use to get my kids to love eating vegetables, read this post. 


    power smoothies and juices

  3. Recognize your beauty and be compassionate with yourself. 

    Think about one thing that you like about yourself and remind yourself how amazing you are every day. 
     
    Think about your strengths. When you find yourself talking to yourself, imagine you are talking to a friend. What would you say to them? 

    It’s not easy to do, but once you get used to appraising yourself and valuing your strengths, your self-confidence will grow, and you will start loving yourself more and more. 

    When you stop criticizing yourself, the negative voice inside you should dwindle, and it should be overtaken by a more confident you. 

  4. Learn to receive a compliment 

    If you’re anything like me, you find it difficult to receive a compliment from somebody else. 

    You brush it off, you may say:
     “Oh I’m a mess “when someone tells you that you look nice

    Try receiving a compliment as it is meant, in good faith, accept what people are saying to you and believe it! People don’t say things to be nice. If they tell you how nice you look, you probably do! Being gentle with yourself starts right here. 

  5. Stop spreading yourself too thinly.

    You can’t be everything to everybody, and you need to slow down and stop trying to do everything to the detriment of your well-being. 

    There’s a saying that goes, 
    “If you want something doing, ask a busy person,” and I know this first hand.

    I’ve worked in many jobs where the busiest and most hardworking people were always the ones who were given the most work, while the people who sat around and pretended to be busy never got asked to do anything. I’m so glad I’m out of the rat race for this reason alone! 

    How often have your kids walked past their dad to come and ask you for help when you’re in the middle of doing something, and he is not! 

    It’s okay to be gentle with yourself, hand over the reins now and again, and let somebody else do the jobs! 


  6. Learn to say no to external demands 

    One of the best things about getting old is that it’s much easier to say no without feeling guilty.

    You don’t have to go out on Christmas nights out.

    You don’t have to take Auntie Joan out shopping.

    You don’t have to have six kids over for a sleepover.

    It’s nice to say yes, but it’s perfectly okay to say no when you need to.
     
    Be gentle with yourself and learn to say no!

  7. Go with the flow 

    Let go of the need to control every situation you find yourself in. Sometimes you’ve just got to accept that things don’t always go according to plan. Sit back and enjoy the ride. It’s all part of life’s rich tapestry!  

  8. Do more of what you love in life.  

    Whatever it is, no matter how small, do it more! Whether you enjoy being alone or love being with others, it doesn’t matter, do it more!
      

  9. Learn to enjoy some quiet time 

    When have you ever just sat and done absolutely nothing? I mean, really just done nothing. Not reading, not watching television, not eating, not looking at your phone, not ringing anybody, not checking emails, not talking, just sitting doing nothing. 

    Take a chair, take a blanket, and sit outside, no matter how cold it is, and set your timer for five minutes and do absolutely nothing.

    Sit listening to the birds, listen to the noises around you, take deep breaths, and do nothing. It sounds stupid and like a massive waste of time, but you’ll be amazed at how great you feel! 

    To be gentle with yourself, do this every morning or evening when nobody else is around.

  10. Enjoy the moment 

    Make an effort to be more present with the people around you, and don’t sweat the small stuff.

    Try to take some time out of your day to enjoy simple things like nature, family, and pets. Spending even a small amount of time noticing the world around you each day. It is the best be good to yourself therapy’ you can give to yourself.

    Stop looking for the next big thing and enjoy what you have in the present moment. 

    To learn how to have a digital detox, read this post. 

    dog sleeping

  11. Get more sleep 

    Put down the phone, switch off the tv and go to sleep. Go to bed when your kids do if you have to.

    Reduce that sleep deficit by going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. 

    The benefits of getting up earlier are that you get much more done and are less likely to procrastinate over chores by watching tv or browsing social media than you would in the evenings.

  12. Listen to your body. 

    We are all guilty of soldiering on even though we are exhausted. 

    Listen to your body. If you feel you need to rest, rest when you can, and don’t feel guilty. 

    Allow your body some time for healing and decompression, look after your body and soul, forget about others for a while and be gentle with yourself. 

  13. Stop putting others first. 

    Knowing how to be kind to yourself is often tricky. Sometimes we can get bogged down by putting other people first when they don’t deserve it.

    Don’t waste your time on people who are ungrateful and unkind. Stop allowing yourself to be taken for granted by people who don’t have your best interests at heart.

    We all have people in our lives who take us for granted, don’t allow these people to drain the life out of you. Spend your time on people who deserve it. 

  14. Learn how to be gentle with other people 

    Speak kindly to people, be kind to your children and spouse, and smile at strangers. 

    It’s easy to scream and yell at somebody when you’re behind the wheel of a car that has just cut you up, but next time do yourself a favor and don’t participate in road rage.
     
    Practice loving-kindness to others whenever you can. Try to stop judging other people, resenting other people, and complaining about people, focus on becoming more forgiving and complimentary, and try to see the good in people. 

    By practicing these things daily, you can learn to be gentler with yourself and others. 

    Learn how to be a more gentle parent by reading this post 

  15. Drop the guilt 

    Stop feeling guilty over every little thing that crops up, like: 
    The way you spoke to your spouse.  
    That you’ve not called your mum.  
    That you shouted at the kids.  
    That you sat down for half an hour when the kids were at school. 

    As a woman, I feel guilty over everything I do for myself, and I often self-sacrifice. I struggle with it every day and need to work hard to overcome it. 

  16. Make life easier for yourself.  

    Empty your diary and simplify your spare time. This way, you can carve out some time to decompress. You learned how to say no earlier on in this post. Clearing your diary may mean you need to say no more often, especially to the things that don’t enhance your life! 

  17. Declutter your home  

    Having fewer possessions means you spend less time cleaning the clutter! This will give you more time to do the things you love.

    If you are overwhelmed with clutter, you will find some amazing tips here. 

  18. Rekindle your love of reading 

    When was the last time you sat down for half an hour and read a book? 

    When you become a parent, reading often makes us feel guilty. We often think that we should be doing something more productive with our time. To allow yourself some time to read each day is to honestly know how to be gentle with yourself. Put down your phone, switch off the tv and pick up a book even if it’s only for five minutes! Try Amazon Unlimited to expand your library!

    woman reading a book

  19. Stop worrying about things you have no control over 

    Stop worrying about the what-ifs. It might happen, or it might never happen. Either way, there’s not a single thing you can do about it right now. Drop the endless mind chatter and give that monkey mind a rest.  

  20. Practice some daily self-care 

    Whether you’ve got one minute to spare or one hour, my self-care cheat sheet has a self-care activity to fit even the busiest schedule. They are nearly all things you can do for free. Double win! 

  21. Give meditation a whirl! 

    Meditation is one of the easiest ways to start to be gentle with yourself, and the benefits are tremendous. Read how to introduce some simple meditation into your life in this step by step guide. 
    Five minutes a day is all you need to feel a real benefit!

  22. Take a daily walk. 

    Walk the kids to school, walk for half an hour on your lunch break. It doesn’t matter when you do it; just do it! Better still, try swimming, yoga, or going to the gym. Exercise of any sort and for even the smallest amount of time can have huge benefits on your mental health.


    pink ladies bike

Frequently asked questions

How can I practice self-care when I have small children?

One of the hardest things to do is carve time for yourself when you have toddlers or babies at home. It’s challenging to even get a few fleeting moments to yourself to go to the toilet, let alone find time for self-care.
The important thing to do is to get as much sleep as you can, so try to avoid staying up late after the kids are asleep. Get outside with the kids during the day to keep up your fresh air intake and exercise, and remember to breathe!

I find saying no to people difficult how can I learn to do that more?

This is something I struggle with, too. The way forward for me was to evaluate my friendships and decide exactly who appreciated me in my family and friend circle. Once I had figured that out, the decision became more evident, and I found it easier to say no to the people who didn’t matter.

Quotes about being gentle with yourself

Be gentle with yourself, you’re doing the best you can. 

Be patient with yourself, be gentle with yourself. Know that all things are working in your favour. If you take one step towards the light of spirit, spirit will take five steps on your behalf.      

 Lynana Vanzant

Be gentle with yourself. You’re a child of the universe, No less than the trees and the stars. In the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.   Max Ehrmann

Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance and non-can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath August sun.  

Kent Nerburn 

Please be gentle with yourself. Your struggle is just part of the story.    

Rebecca Fox 

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself  

Max Ehrmann 

Be gentle with yourself, learn to love yourself, to forgive yourself, but only as we have the right attitude towards ourselves, have the right attitude towards others.  

Wilfred Peterson 

Be careful how you are talking to yourself because you are listening.  

Lisa Hayes 

Be kind and gentle with yourself. You are a beautiful child of the light. precious as the stars in the sky. Keep Peace in your heart during the chaos of life.      

Chantelle Renne 

Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.  

Brené Brown 

Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Shower yourself with love. Pamper yourself. Forgive yourself and make peace with your past. Do all of these things because you deserve it.     

Arathi Variar 

You’ve got to trust yourself. Be gentle with yourself. Listen to yourself. You’re the only person who can get you through this now. You’re the only one who can survive your story, the only one who can write your future. All you’ve got to do when you’re ready is stand-up, and begin again.

Tessa Shaffer. 

Be gentle first with yourself if you wish to be gentle with others

Lama Yeshe 

The fourth gift is compassion. May you be gentle with yourself and others. May you forgive those who hurt you and yourself when you make mistakes. 

Charlene Costanzo

Be gentle with yourself, success takes time.  

Kindness is loving yourself and to love those around you.  

Be gentle to all and stern with yourself     

Saint Teresa Of Avila 
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Remember to be gentle with yourself. You’re doing a great job! 

One thought on “22 Unusual Ways To Be Gentle With Yourself

  1. Pingback: How to be Gentle With Yourself | Lisa Landman | Professional Overview

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