• Home
  • New? Start Here
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Real Mom Life

  • Purpose and Passion
    • Planners
    • Purpose and passion
    • Reinvention
    • Retirement
    • Starting a business
    • Volunteering
    • Working
    • Trying new things
    • Ageism
    • Giving back
    • Confidence
    • Encore careers
    • Encouragement
    • Gratitude
    • Happiness
    • Inspiration
    • Lifelong Learning
  • Adventure
    • Travel
    • Technology
    • Trying new things
    • Books and movies
    • Embracing change
    • Fun
    • Holidays
    • Pets
  • Relationships
    • Marriage
    • Friendships
    • Parenting
    • Painful parenting
    • Mothering
    • Grandparenting
    • Aging parents
    • Empty nest
    • Cancer caregiving
    • Child adoption
    • Homeschooling
    • Special needs kids
    • Life skills for kids
    • Activities for kids
  • Health and Beauty
    • Alternative health practices
    • Fashion
    • Hair care
    • Health insurance
    • Healthy aging
    • Healthy brain
    • Makeup
    • Medical issues
    • Mental health
    • Sexuality
    • Skin care
    • Sleep
    • Stress
    • Nutrition
    • Physical fitness
    • Self-care
  • Creativity and Spirituality
    • Faith
    • Crafts
    • Hobbies
    • Art journaling
    • Blogging
    • Journaling
    • Jewelry making
    • Writing
  • Home and Finances
    • Cleaning
    • Cooking and food
    • Declutter
    • Decor
    • DIY Home
    • Downsize
    • Gardening
    • Holidays
    • Organizing
    • Saving money
    • Simplify
  • Coffee Love
  • Rants, Raves and Reviews
  • Bucket List
  • Store

The Importance Of Self-Kindness (And How You Can Achieve It)

October 12, 2021 By Christine Field

This post may contain affiliate links.

(Unsplash CC0)

 

When was the last time you were kind to yourself? 

 

It’s an important question as self-kindness is important. You will already understand the importance of being kind to others, perhaps by showing appreciation to the people you know for the things they have done for you, and forgiving them when they have let you down. 

 

But when have you shown kindness to yourself? 

 

It might seem like a strange question but if you rarely focus on your own needs, now might be the time to focus on yourself for a change.

 

3 Reasons Why Self-Kindness Is Important

You deserve to pamper yourself

 

You can get a lot of satisfaction from making other people feel good but you deserve to feel good too. It’s not selfish to make yourself feel happy, as you need respite from the pressures and stresses that might sometimes get you down. When you treat yourself, in whatever way is relevant to you, you will nourish your need to be looked after and cared for. By doing so, you may be able to alleviate your anxieties and low moods and improve the way you feel on a daily basis. 

Other people aren’t always kind

 

Sadly, kindness from others isn’t always a given. You’re fortunate if other people do offer kindness but it might be that the people in your life don’t show it often enough. It might even be that there are people you know who are anything but kind, being quick to anger and harsh judgments before any kind of nicety. If this is true, it’s especially important that you show kindness to yourself. When you’re surrounded by people who aren’t kind, you need to show it to yourself for the sake of your mental wellbeing. 

You will set a good example

 

A lot of people neglect the need to be kind to themselves. They don’t buy themselves nice things, schedule in me-time, or take as much care of their health as they should, for all kinds of reasons. But if you can show them that self-kindness is possible, they might follow your good example. In this way, you are also showing them a kindness. 

 

How To Show Yourself Self-Kindness

(Unsplash CC0)

 

It’s possible to get into the habit of self-kindness by doing various things on a daily and weekly basis. The following are just a few examples so consider applying them to your life.

 

Forgive yourself often

 

You’re not perfect. There will be times when you make mistakes. However, you shouldn’t let these mistakes rule your life. The key is to learn from whatever you have done and move on. And moving on is only possible after you have forgiven yourself. So, if you’re currently weighed down by mistakes of the past, forgive yourself for them. And if you screw up today, don’t go to bed with a heavy heart. You’re human so you won’t always get things right. Live each day doing the best that you can and use these methods of self-forgiveness if you ever start to experience the pain of your mistakes.

Look after your physical health

 

You only have one body so don’t hurt it in any way. Resist the urge to eat junk food for your meals or to binge-watch Netflix all day. Treat your body well by nourishing it with the foods that will improve your health. And take time out to exercise each day to ensure you remain fit and healthy. This is one way to show kindness to yourself but this can be extended. When you’re eating and exercising to stay healthy, you don’t have to bore yourself in the process. Show kindness to yourself by eating nutritious foods that you know you will enjoy and exercise in fun ways. Staying healthy doesn’t have to be a chore so explore all of your options. 

Buy yourself something that will make you feel good

 

When did you last go shopping for yourself? If you’re a mom, it’s likely that most of your shopping is for your kids, especially when it comes to clothes and entertainment options. But you deserve nice things too so make a wish list of things that you would like to buy. You might buy yourself something stylish to wear, for example. How about a new jacket? Or a new top? Or a cool set of shades akin to THE ICONIC sunglasses? When you look good you will feel good too, so if your current fashion sense doesn’t do it for you, consider a change. There are all kinds of other things you could buy for yourself of course, so while you shouldn’t blow your weekly budget, you should still buy something affordable or save up for the nicer things in life. 

Have a self-care day

 

You’re not being selfish when you have a self-care day. There’s nothing wrong with taking time out from your mom life for a day that is focused on your own needs for a change. You need the opportunity to recharge your batteries, experience moments of calm and peace, and have time for the activities that you enjoy doing. There are all kinds of things you can do on your self-care day. You could take a relaxing bath, book a massage, spend time with your hobbies, take time out for a nap, and much more besides. There are some ideas in the previously linked article so schedule in me-time when you can and enjoy a day that is all about you!

Get the help you need

 

Are you struggling in any area of your life? There’s no need to be ashamed if you are because, as we said, you’re human! If you’re having problems with your health, seek out the relevant medical professional, be that a doctor, therapist, or any kind of specialist. If you’re having issues at work, speak to your boss or any other person that can support you. If mom life is taking its toll, call in a childminder or a relative that can give you a little bit of respite. In short, don’t struggle alone. Life isn’t always easy so there’s no harm in asking for help when you need it. 

Pat yourself on the back

 

Instead of focusing on the things you haven’t done well, concentrate on the things you have. Especially if the people in your life aren’t forthcoming about recognizing your achievements, you owe it to yourself to be self-congratulatory. One way to do this is to add post-it notes to your wall or fridge that highlight the things you have done well. You will then have reminders of your successes, no matter how large or small they are, and have reason to feel good about yourself. Going back to a previous point, you could also buy yourself something to celebrate what you have done. So, if you have excelled at work, for example, you might want to treat yourself in whatever way is relevant to you when you have returned home. 

 

What Can You Do Today?

You will understand kindness from the perspective of the way you treat friends and family members. And it might be that you have already done something in the way of kindness for them today. That’s great news if so as not only will you benefit their lives, but you will also do much for both your mental satisfaction and your reputation if you have taken time out to be kind.

 

But considering the point of this article, remember that today is also a day when you should find ways to be kind to yourself. We have listed a few ideas but there may be other things you could consider. So, be proactive and do something in the way of self-kindness today, and don’t put it off until tomorrow. When you get into the habit of doing something now, you will have more inclination to care for yourself in the future.

Filed Under: Self-care Tagged With: self-kindness

Previous Post: « Sustainability Tips To Follow When Building A Home Extension
Next Post: Lifestyle Changes You Should Make After Your Kids Fly The Nest »

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

FacebookInstagrammailPinterestYouTubeTwitter

Hi, I’m Christine

Have you been a wholehearted mother, but time, toddlers and teenagers have moved on? If you are wondering what comes next for you, you’ll feel right at home here.

Or, are you a mom for whom family life has been non-Pinworthy and parenting has been downright painful? I hear ya. There are many of us around.

Are you looking for a life full of exploration and adventure after the nest empties, but maybe you have no idea how to go about doing that? Stick around! We’ll explore adventures together to help you gain more clarity for your own path.

After a couple decades of writing books and articles about parenting, homeschooling and adoption, speaking to homeschoolers and other parent groups, and reaching out to the mom in the trenches who was trying to make the best of it - my kids grew up. Some grew up and grew away. I was determined to find a way out of the pain, emptiness and lack of direction.

For many of us, the journey starts with something we moms are not accustomed to. After years of caring for and serving others, sometimes we forget the beauty and wonder of US. We need to spend some time getting to know the parts of ourselves that have lain dormant, and take the time to explore interests and passions that we set aside.

I’d like to invite you to get the “What’s Next for Mom” workbook and jump into this growing tribe of Moms who are emptying the nest and filling the life! Let’s reignite your Mojo after Mothering!
Read More…

Visit my Amazon Influencer Storefront

www.amazon.com/shop/christine.field.7505

Search the Blog

Want to Search For Something?

Disclosure and Privacy Policy

Real Mom Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

 

Cookie policy

This website will store some information about your preferences on your own computer inside a tiny file called a cookie.  A cookie is a small piece of data that a website asks your browser to store on your computer or mobile device. The cookie allows the website to remember your actions or preferences over time.

You can delete all cookies that are already on your computer, and you can set most browsers to prevent them from being placed. However, if you do this, you may have to manually adjust some preferences every time you visit a site, and some services and functionalities may not work.

Most browsers support cookies, but you can set your browser to decline them and can delete them whenever you like. You can find instructions here for how you can do that on various browsers.

This website uses cookies to

1) Identify you as a returning user and to count your visits in traffic statistics analysis

2) Remember your custom display preferences (such as whether you prefer comments to display all-collapsed or not)

3) Suggest any recent searches you’ve made on our site

4) Provide other usability features, including tracking whether you’ve already given your consent to cookies

Enabling cookies is not strictly necessary for the website to work but it will provide you with a better browsing experience.

The cookie-related information is not used to identify you personally and is not used for any purpose other than those described here.

There may also be other types of cookies created after you’ve visited this website. This site uses Google Analytics, a popular web analytics service that uses cookies to help to analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of another website, compiling reports on website activity, and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google undertakes not to associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.

Third Party Advertising

This site has third-party advertising companies serving ads to you when you visit. These companies may store information about your visits here and to other websites in order to provide you with relevant advertisements about goods and services. For example, if they know what ads you are shown while visiting this site, they can be careful not to show you the same ones repeatedly.

These companies may employ cookies and other identifiers to gather information which measures advertising effectiveness. The information is generally not personally identifiable unless, for example, you provide personally identifiable information to them through an ad or an email message.

They do not associate your interaction with unaffiliated sites with your identity in providing you with interest-based ads.

This site does not provide any personal information to advertisers or to third party sites. Advertisers and other third-parties (including the ad networks, ad-serving companies, and other service providers they may use) may assume that users who interact with or click on a personalized ad or content are part of the group that the ad or content is directed towards (for example, readers in the Pacific Northwest who read certain types of articles). Also, some third-party cookies may provide them with information about you (such as the sites where you have been shown ads or demographic information) from offline and online sources that they may use to provide you more relevant and useful advertising.

To learn more about what options you have about limiting the gathering of information by third-party ad networks, you can consult the website of the Network Advertising Initiative.

You can opt out of participating in interest-based advertising networks, but opting out does not mean you will no longer receive online advertising. It does mean that the companies from which you opted out will no longer customize ads based on your interests and web usage patterns using cookie-based technology.

Sharing Information

This site does not sell, rent, or disclose to outside parties the information collected here, except as follows:

(a) Affiliated Service Providers: This site has agreements with various affiliated service providers to facilitate the functioning of the site. For example, the site may share your credit card information with the credit card service provider to process your purchase. All administrative service providers that this site uses are required to have the same level of privacy protection as this site does, and therefore your information will be handled with the same level of care. Additionally, for example, this site may use analytic or marketing services such as Google Analytics, Google Adsense, Taboola, or RevContent, to which collection you hereby unconditionally consent.

(b) Where required by law: This site may share the collected information where required by law, specifically in response to a demand from government authorities where such demand meets the legal requirements.

(c) Statistical Analysis: This site may share Non-Personal Information and aggregated information with third parties, including but not limited to for advertising or marketing purposes. No Personal Information will be shared in this manner.

(d) Transactions: In connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing or acquisition, or in any other situation where Personal Information may be disclosed or transferred as a business asset.

How To Opt Out Of Interest-Based Advertising


Opting Out of Interest-Based Advertising Services: This website is a member of the Network Advertising Initiative(NAI) and adheres to the NAI Codes of Conduct as described on the NAI website. This website also adheres to the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) Self-Regulatory Principles. For a description of the DAA Program, please visit the DAA website.

Opting Out of Interest-Based Advertising by Third Parties: To find out more about interest-based advertising on the internet and how to opt out of information collection for this purpose by companies that participate in the Network Advertising Initiative or the Digital Advertising Alliance, visit NAI’s opt-out page or DAA’s Consumer Choice Page.

 

Footer

About Christine

FacebookInstagrammailPinterestYouTubeTwitter

At Real Mom Life, my passion is to provide resources and reassurances for moms facing the surprising challenges of family life. In my writing and speaking, I explore solutions to unexpected issues in adoption, homeschooling, special needs, and more while encouraging moms to extract the maximum joy out of each day. Read More…

Real Mom Life

Real Mom Life

10339 S. Kostner Ave.

                              Oak Lawn, IL 60453

 

Copyright © 2023 Real Mom Life on the Foodie Pro Theme