Just Do Your Best & Be Kind, especially to yourself! This may sound like incredibly simplistic advise, but the best advice I could offer anyone right now would be to simply try to take care of yourself and practice self empathy. These are really tough and uncertain times we are all living in and I believe that we are all struggling to some extent right now. As it’s been stated by many, this is an unprecedented time period in all of our lives. So please, give yourself a break when you find you aren’t reacting and coping perfectly to this crisis. And be kind to yourself as you try to do your best to effectively adapt to this pandemic.
COVID-19 has certainly impacted everyone, causing us all to experience varying degrees of distress. I’ve seen a quote on social media recently, which I’m paraphrasing: “we’re all in the same storm, just in different boats”. Whatever predicament you may find yourself in these days, remember that while, none of us can rewrite the whole narrative of the COVID-19 story line, we can choose more helpful ways to respond to the challenges we face as a result of this pandemic.
The first article I wrote for this wellness blog focused mainly on the concept of empathy, a crucial trait well worth instilling in our students, with some mention of the need to also practice self-empathy. In many ways I believe we, now, more than ever, need to focus our efforts on self empathy. And so for this blog article, I’d like to emphasize the importance of practicing self-care and self-compassion.
Tips on Self Compassion:
Resources:
Dr. Kritin Neff, Pioneer in the field of Research on Self Compassion
Website: https://self-compassion.org/
Suggested Reading:
Self Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristin Neff
https://self-compassion.org/self-compassion-kristin-neff/
Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness and Self Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity and Joy By: Dr. Shauna Shapiro
https://drshaunashapiro.com/good-morning-i-love-you/
Loving Kindness Meditation Links:
10 Minute Guided Meditation: Led by Ali Smith, sponsored by Adidas Women
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UW-x4Hixa0
Guided Meditation: Led by Sylvia Boorstein, on The On Being Project with Krista Tippett
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAO2ACtjtsw
COVID-19 has certainly impacted everyone, causing us all to experience varying degrees of distress. I’ve seen a quote on social media recently, which I’m paraphrasing: “we’re all in the same storm, just in different boats”. Whatever predicament you may find yourself in these days, remember that while, none of us can rewrite the whole narrative of the COVID-19 story line, we can choose more helpful ways to respond to the challenges we face as a result of this pandemic.
The first article I wrote for this wellness blog focused mainly on the concept of empathy, a crucial trait well worth instilling in our students, with some mention of the need to also practice self-empathy. In many ways I believe we, now, more than ever, need to focus our efforts on self empathy. And so for this blog article, I’d like to emphasize the importance of practicing self-care and self-compassion.
Tips on Self Compassion:
- First step: be mindful & self aware, notice when you are being hard on yourself
- Forgive yourself when you aren't perfect and start again
- Recharge your Battery: Unplug when possible, We're all feeling some “zoomxaustion” these days, try a Loving Kindess Meditation
- Model self-care behavior for your children
- Remind yourself this pandemic won’t last forever
Resources:
Dr. Kritin Neff, Pioneer in the field of Research on Self Compassion
Website: https://self-compassion.org/
Suggested Reading:
Self Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristin Neff
https://self-compassion.org/self-compassion-kristin-neff/
Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness and Self Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity and Joy By: Dr. Shauna Shapiro
https://drshaunashapiro.com/good-morning-i-love-you/
Loving Kindness Meditation Links:
10 Minute Guided Meditation: Led by Ali Smith, sponsored by Adidas Women
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UW-x4Hixa0
Guided Meditation: Led by Sylvia Boorstein, on The On Being Project with Krista Tippett
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAO2ACtjtsw