We’re halfway through our monthly motto; Let’s be contagious with kindness.
When we think of kindness, we automatically think of how to treat others with respect and kindness, but kindness stretches far beyond that and actually starts from within. Being kind to your mind means thinking about your own feelings and emotions and being accepting of them. Sometimes it’s easy to brush over feelings of frustration or tiredness because you want to be 100% for others, but if you don’t recognise those feelings they will just keep piling up.
Your mind can be a source of great positivity and inspiration, but it is also rife with self-doubt and negativity. It doesn’t take a genius to conclude that these things are not conducive to good mental health. Especially if we don’t learn to handle them well.
These tips could be beneficial to maintaining good mental health and being kind to your mind:
Re-define success and failure:
If you’re not failing at something, you’re not trying anything new. Question your definition of success. Are you truly failing? Or are you measuring your success against people’s expectations of you?
Doubt is part of the process:
Doubt is important. It determines how much you care about something and assists in weighing up the risks. If you face self-doubt, it could mean you have an opportunity to push yourself further and achieve something new.
Ask your mind better questions:
If you tend to have lots of negative thoughts, instead of asking yourself things like, “Can I really do this?”, change your mindset and ask better questions such as, “How can I do this?”
Work boundaries:
Your client doesn’t care if you were up until three o’clock in the morning, working on a deadline; they just care that you successfully fulfilled the brief. If you’re consistently working late, get more organised. There is often an unhealthy acceptance that we need to endure late nights and early mornings for work matters. Of course, it’s up to you whether you continue doing so, but be aware that continually working late and not getting enough sleep and rest can be detrimental to your mental health.
Listen to your body – it speaks loud and clear
It sounds so obvious. But how many times have you got so lost in a job that you’ve forgotten to eat? And now you’re wondering why you cannot focus. It’s not rocket science: eat, sleep, move.
Stop comparing yourself with others:
It’s great to be inspired by other people’s work, but it’s important to recognise when this is becoming unhealthy. Do you put others on pedestals? If comparing yourself to others is becoming a frequent problem, ask yourself what it is you feel your work is lacking. Can you start developing your skills or learn new things that enable you to be more fulfilled?
Cultivate confidence (not ego)
Confidence isn’t something we’re born with; it’s something that’s cultivated. Don’t write yourself off just because you haven’t had confidence in the past – that won’t always be the case. Alternatively, pride might be holding you back. It might stop you from asking for help, as you put on a brave face and pretend everything is ok. In which case, don’t confuse confidence with ego.
Be kind to your future self:
A wise person once said; “you should be kind to your future self. Don’t lose your head if you can’t fathom what you’ll be doing next month, let alone next year. Just start with tomorrow and build on that”. Being kind to yourself is often seen as an instant quick fix – something that helps you to block out your reality and find immediate fulfilment. But taking this approach will encourage you to take steps to achieve your goals.
Make tomorrow easier. What can you change to give yourself the future you desire? What will you look back on today and thank yourself for?
Nurse your mind through self-care and other empowering activities to get it ‘healthy’ or at least healthier.