When you feel bad about yourself, you’re most likely going to lash out. Even if you try to stay neutral, your self-critical thoughts may still creep into your mind.
This cycle has the potential to wreak havoc on your life and your relationships. Instead, develop an understanding of why your actions may be hurting yourself and others.
When you become aware of your own mistakes, you become better equipped to deal with future situations. This also allows you to better empathize with other people’s struggles.
In the next two sections, I’ll guide you through some practical steps to cultivate kindness towards yourself and the people in your life.
STEP 1: Start by Appreciating Where You Are Now
Start by acknowledging what you’ve already accomplished. It can be challenging to see progress, especially when you’re stuck in a rut, but it’s important to take time to reflect.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in a cycle of negativity, but it’s possible to remain balanced. Try practicing gratitude by listing five things you’re grateful for.
It may feel hard at first, but try to keep a journal of all the things you appreciate. As you practice, it gets easier to think and talk about more positive attributes.
STEP 2: Practice the “Five Ways Exercise”
This exercise is based on the idea of forgiveness, which essentially means you forgive someone for something without expecting anything in return.
There are many different ways of doing this, but this is a very simple way. For each negative thought, come up with five ways you can think positively about the situation.
As you begin to practice, you’ll notice how much more resilient and resilient you feel. As a result, you may also start to see improvements in your health, happiness, and relationships.
STEP 3: Understand What Makes You Feel Bad About Yourself
Once you understand what makes you feel bad, you have a better chance of making changes. Once you’re aware of your feelings, you’re more equipped to react appropriately.
Try taking the time to really get to know what you’re feeling. Ask yourself questions such as: “How does this make me feel? Am I making assumptions? Am I rationalizing?”
Ask yourself questions to help you see where you’re coming from and gain a deeper understanding of your negative feelings.
STEP 4: Reexamine Your Values and Goals
You may have certain values or goals in your life that you’ve been striving to achieve. If you don’t fully appreciate these aspects, then it’s more difficult to see how you’ve changed over time.
It’s easy to compare where you are now to where you were last year, but don’t focus on that. Instead, take a moment to appreciate everything you’ve accomplished.
