Have you noticed that we tend to be hard on ourselves and talk harshly to ourselves? We criticize, judge, doubt, and disapprove. We are a lot less kind to ourselves than we are to others. Our self-talk can often lack kindness and self-compassion.
So today, let’s follow this important advice from Brené Brown: “Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.”
Let’s take just a short moment to counterbalance the inner critic inside of us, and be a little bit more kind and compassionate towards ourselves.
If you want to join in, you can try a little practice right now.
Here’s all we are going to do: we are going to say something nice about ourselves. It doesn’t have to be complicated, and it doesn’t have to be deep. It can be something very simple – even just one adjective to describe something nice about you.
I invite you to take a deep breath in and out, and then take a moment to say a nice thing about yourself out loud, or in your mind.
To make it easy, you can simply complete this sentence: “I am ______.”
Here are some examples:
- I am brave.
- I am kind.
- I am strong.
- I am creative.
- I am resourceful.
- I am flexible.
- I am a good listener.
- I am a quick learner.
How did that feel to offer yourself a kind word today?
It’s okay if that felt a little strange or a little unfamiliar! Sometimes we just aren’t used to talking to ourselves like we would talk to someone we love. But it is a habit we can build with practice.
I applaud you for giving yourself this gift of kindness today, and for practicing talking to yourself like someone you love. And I encourage you to repeat this simple exercise as often as you can! The more you practice, the more you’ll help build that muscle of self-compassion and help rewire your brain towards greater self-love.
You can also use Tapping to support yourself on this journey toward self-compassion.
Head to the Tapping Solution App to find a whole collection of meditations that can help you learn to talk to yourself with more kindness, such as:
- Releasing That Critical Voice
- Micro Boost of Self-Love
- Help Me Stop “Shoulding” Myself
- Increase Self-Esteem Sleep Programming
- You Are Enough
Until next time…
Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner
P.S. If you need some inspiration for how to complete the sentence: “I am ____,” all you’ve got to do is watch this adorable video from little 2-year-old Lily who models the perfect personal pep-talk full of so much self-love.
