5 Ways to Show Yourself Love and Kindness

You have to pick the kids up from soccer, your CSA box is on the porch with wilting greens, and Buddy hasn’t been walked since the morning. It can be challenging to carve out time for yourself amongst the everyday chaos of life (and when you still need to make cupcakes and send that email, too).

This is your permission slip to show yourself some self compassion as we enter the most love-centered month of the year. Here are some approachable ways to show yourself love and kindness during your everyday grind, and during a pandemic, too.

1. Celebrate mistakes

Whether you forgot to take the trash out, or you gave up a hobby you loved, mistakes happen. They can be a symbol that we’ve pushed ourselves to try something new or outside of our comfort zones. We think they should be celebrated more. Self-forgiveness has a front-row seat in the process of accepting mistakes. Learning to accept our failures is both terrifying and empowering. The world gets bigger when we stop expecting ourselves to be perfect and instead offer ourselves grace. Accepting mistakes will inspire you to embrace challenges and not give up on yourself. We’re humans, not robots, after all. Next time you find yourself upset that you’ve made one, try to remember: mistakes are simply opportunities for growth.

2. Cultivate gratitude

There is beauty in looking around at what you have, right now, and telling yourself: I am so lucky, I have so much. And then pausing to let that idea sink in. That feeling that you have right there? It’s not magic, it’s gratitude. When we focus on what we’re grateful for, we cultivate a sense of positive regard that can help show ourselves kindness and love during more difficult times. Gratitude can help people feel more positive emotions towards themselves and others, and acknowledge the goodness in their lives. Take five minutes to write down what you’re grateful for in the mornings, or run through a list while you’re brushing your teeth at night. The key is to cultivate gratitude in a way that works best for you.

3. Ask for help

Perhaps the most courageous act of self-love and compassion is asking for help. We are hardwired for empathy and as scary as asking for help can be, humans enjoy helping each other. There are likely people in your life who would love to help out — picking up a prescription, babysitting, snagging Buddy from his doggy day-care. You just have to ask. This applies to both the moments you’re overwhelmed and stretched thin and the weeks you can see coming that will be extra busy. Whether it’s your best friend, neighbor, mom, or Instacart delivery, asking for help when you need it is one of the kindest actions you can take for yourself.

4. Rest

Whether it’s a bedtime wind down routine with your Hatch Restore, a mid-day meditation, or asking for help so that you can do it — rest is not overrated. It offers your body and mind the time to relax and restore. Rest improves mental health, helps boost creativity, reduces stress, and improves mood. Listen to soothing music, soak in a bath, or have a cup of tea. Rest is waiting for you, right around the corner.

5. Practice Meditation

Just 5-minutes of meditation a day can reduce stress, and increase your focus and productivity. Using breathe as an anchor to the moment — place one hand on your stomach and your chest, holding your breath while slowly inhaling in through your nose. Slowly exhale through your mouth. Doing this for a few cycles allows you to connect with your breath consciously, helping you slow down and focus on the current moment without judgment. Prefer guided meditations? Our Hatch Sleep Membership features a variety of meditations of different lengths, depending on how much time you have.

One of the greatest challenges in showing yourself love and kindness is being able to prioritize it. As they have been known to say on airplanes, put on your own oxygen mask before helping others. Loving yourself and showing yourself kindness have to come first — not after you’ve taken care of everyone else. So, be your own Valentine and celebrate yourself with love and kindness this month.