YOU’RE LEARNING TO BE KIND TO YOURSELF
Slowly but surely, you are learning to be kind to yourself.
You are learning to recognize the tension in your shoulders, and maybe this is telling you something about how hard you’ve been working.
You are learning that taking care of yourself doesn’t always have to involve a new creative activity. Taking care of yourself also means drinking a glass of water.
We put so much pressure on ourselves, even when it comes to self-care. And many of us don’t have the time we wish we had to rest or take time away. So when the moment comes, we feel like we’re not resting the right way. We wonder things like…
“Can a quiet moment be a quiet moment when someone is watching a movie in the next room?” “Can my moment of rest be what it needs to be when I’m getting text messages while trying to sleep?”
“Can I create space for myself, even if I don’t feel like I deserve it as much as someone else?”
The answer is yes. Yes, this is still a moment of rest, even when it’s not ideal. You’re still learning how to cultivate this space, and it’s okay if it takes time. It’s okay if you don’t have it figured out right away.
It does not make you irresponsible or less of an adult if you don’t have a game plan for everything, even when it comes to rest. The mere fact that you’re thinking about taking time away from the noise is a valuable first step that is often overlooked.
If you are being a little kinder to yourself this week than you were last week, this matters more than you know.
If you slept a little longer yesterday than you did a few days prior, this matters more than you know. If you remembered to turn on the music that calms you in a stressful moment, this matters more than you know.
Trust: the small steps matter.
Trust: the little things you do to remind yourself to be kind to yourself will have a lasting impact on your life.
Years from now, you will be so glad that you chose to pay attention to that tension in your shoulders. Years from now, you will be so glad that you worked through your fear of seeking help for your mental health by reaching out to a therapist. You will be so glad that you took moments just like this one to reflect and be still, even if it’s only for a few minutes.
I hope today you are proud of yourself for all these little steps you’re taking. I hope you have gratitude for how you are learning to be kind to yourself.
More in this week's series called "Learning to Breathe, Right Here", only with a subscription in the Storyteller App.
More tomorrow…
Sincerely,
Morgan Harper Nichols
@thestorytellerco
@morganharpernichols
