Being Kind…… To Yourself!

How many times a day do you think of something
good about yourself? Something that makes you happy and smile…
How often do you say something kind to yourself? Do you remember the last time you said a nice thing to yourself and really believed it?
How many times a day do you recognize your efforts and the work you put forward toward reaching your goals or acknowledging your strengths at reaching your goals?
Like most people, the number of compliments and nice things that you say to yourself is probably a lot lower than the number of negative comments, criticisms or judgments you lay on yourself.
Being kind and saying nice things to yourself can be a quicker pick-me-up than going to the spa or getting a massage. Sure these are great things to do to make you relaxed and feel less tense but some times, a sincere “I look great today!” or “I feel happy to be where I am right now!” can make a big difference both mentally and physically.
In today’s world, there are many studies that have been done on the proven effects of the mind/body connection. It is no longer categorized as an esoteric concept of the New Age phenomenon. But how do you know that your thoughts can actually affect your body? Well a simple exercise is to take a moment and calm yourself by taking several deep breaths. As you sit or lay down in a relaxed manner, focus on just one part of your body. It may be any area, for example your right foot, your left hand or your lips. Just focus on a particular part without specific or forceful thought. Gradually you should feel a tingle, a pulse or just a warm sensation in that particular area. The feeling may come quickly or take several minutes. Everyone is different. Once you do connect with that feeling, you will be able to get an idea of how you are able to actually control your thoughts to affect specific areas of your body.
Why is understanding positive thinking and the mind/body connection important? Because it helps you better understand that you have a direct influence on your body, your mood and ultimately your life. You have a choice in your thoughts. And by choosing particular thoughts over others, you can begin to create what you experience as opposed to just reacting to random circumstances. Remember the old comparison, do you see the glass as half empty or do you see the glass as half full? How you think about it not only determines your experience but influences your physical body as well. Physical manifestations of consistent negative thinking or worry about oneself can eventually show up in symptoms of depression, anxiety and insomnia, to name a few. But as obvious as positive thinking seems, most of us spend our lives reacting to other people’s actions or words from the media which can force us to live in an almost a perpetual state of negativity. This negative state can create a continuous experience of frustration, anger, sadness, pity or guilt that never ceases to stop. For many though, this feeling may be just a low-grade negative state that never reaches a crisis stage or causes serious disruptions in ones day-to-day life. But life can be more than getting by on a low energy state. Why not start making just small changes in the thoughts you say to yourself and start moving toward a higher energy state that really makes you feel good.
Positive thinking and actually ‘saying’ something positive to yourself can actually change your energy level, even if it is just temporary. The key is to start and then increase the number of times you say something good to yourself until it becomes a habit. A simple way to start is to say something good the moment you wake up in the morning and then again as the last thing you say before you go to sleep. Just a simple, positive statement about ‘you’, not about someone else doing something for you or being nice to you. This statement should always be about yourself and said to yourself regardless of the day you had!
So look at yourself today without judgment or just watch the beautiful Bali sunset and say something nice to yourself. Your attitude will not only affect your physical body, but it just may influence others to see you on the same light!
Copyright © 2008 J. Loeks
Email: jsloeks@yahoo.com
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