When you fall or stumble, the default for many is to be hard on yourself.
To push yourself forward again. Or not to make the same mistake in the future.
Being hard on yourself is a common strategy in many situations, but I’ve found over the years that being kind to yourself works even better.
Why?
First, I find it becomes easier to get back on track and move on (being hard on yourself can leave you disappointed and discouraged from even trying again).
And in today’s post, I want to share 12 of my favorite be kind to yourself quotes, plus my own thoughts and tips regarding each of these timeless and helpful sayings.
I hope you’ll find something here that will make it easier, more motivating, and simply a smarter choice. Take the route of being kind to yourself more often and make it a habit in your life.
The 12 best quotes for being kind to yourself
1. Try something new.
“You’ve criticized yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try to approve of yourself and see what happens.
Louise Hay
As I said at the beginning of this post, criticizing yourself may not be the best approach.
So how can you be kinder to yourself in everyday life? Well, for example you can:
Ask yourself a better question.
Ask yourself every morning: what can I be grateful for about myself?
Write the answer down in a journal or in a document on your phone. Then for the next week, do two things every morning.
Replace critical thoughts with kind and self-loving thoughts.
For example, if you think you won’t be good at something after the first or second try, replace that thought with, “I’m trying my best, I can’t do more than that, and I can’t realistically expect to be good.” at everything in life after just a few tries.”
2. Don’t let yourself be brought down.
“Be kind to yourself. It’s hard to be happy when someone is always mean to you.”
Christine Arylo
That daily negative self-talk can really bring you down. What worked for me is this:
Say stop + kindness to yourself.
Mentally shout “Stop!” or “No, no, no!” whenever that negative self-talk starts. That will turn off the inner critic.
Then add kind thoughts, as mentioned in the previous tip.
3. Be kind and patient.
“Be kind to your body, gentle to your mind and patient with your heart. Stay true to your spirit, cherish your soul and never doubt yourself. You are still growing, my love, and there is no one more deserving of the nourishing grace of your love.
Becca Lee
Finding time for self-care is important.
Especially on days when you feel like you don’t have time for it (because that’s when you often need it the most in my experience).
And taking a walk in the sun or doing a quick workout doesn’t have to take more than 10-20 minutes.
When you start to doubt yourself, one thing that helps me is to say: stop, as mentioned above, and then look back through my memories for a minute or two to relive and remember my greatest successes in every area of life. see how I overcame it. obstacles from the past.
4. Appreciate yourself for doing more important things.
“Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you won’t do anything with it. ”
M. Scott Peck
One of my absolute favorites.
I’ve noticed that as my self-esteem has risen, I’ve also come to value my time more and focus my efforts more on what’s really important to me (and I’ve wasted less time on busy work and doing things because ‘you ‘ should”).
Learning to say no better to others and also to myself has been very valuable in freeing up more time and energy. And to often ask myself a question like this:
What are the 3 most important things in my life right now?
Answering that question can help me keep myself on track, but also help me get back on track if I get lost along the way.
5. Love yourself first.
“Love yourself first and everything else will fall into line. You have to really love yourself to get anything done in this world.”
Lucille Bal
When that self-love is consistent and powerful, it’s like a new gear is unlocked within. When motivation comes from within rather than from wanting validation from other people, it becomes a lot easier to:
- Say no. Or ignore the things that don’t matter (including the words of persistently negative naysayers).
- To keep your full attention on the few things that matter.
- Stay focused day after day on the journey towards a goal or dream.
6. Make room for what you love.
“If you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings you joy, take care of yourself enough to make room for it in your life.”
Jean Shinoda Bolen
Find time for your hobbies and the things you really love. It recharges you and opens up new perspectives again and again.
Two good questions to help you make time for this are:
- What are the top three negative people or sources of information I could spend less time with this week?
- Is there anything in my life that I can delegate, outsource, or honestly do less often or not at all?
7. Find a better way to talk to yourself.
“Speak to yourself as you would to someone you love.”
Brene Brown
This is great advice that many of us have sometimes missed or forgotten.
Whenever I have had a setback or made a mistake, a question I have used a lot over the past 10+ years to not be hard on myself, but to move forward in a self-kind and smart way is this:
How would my friend/parent support and help me in this situation?
Then I do things he or she would suggest and talk to myself the way he or she would. I highly recommend you give this one a try.
8. Be yourself.
“One of life’s biggest regrets is being what others want you to be, instead of being yourself.”
Shannon L. Alder
Our time on this earth is limited.
So it is important to try as much as possible to live the life you really want. And to be true to yourself with what you need and want in this life.
You can start small by expressing your true thoughts and feelings in small ways that will help you gain confidence in yourself and who you really are. Or find some new people or resources like podcasts or websites that are more supportive of who you are and want to become.
I found that too Improving my self-esteem has been very helpful to value my own inner voice more, to be kind and understanding to myself about my needs and to value the opinions of others less.
9. Help yourself.
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one to help yourself, the other to help others.”
Maya Angelou
Helping others and being of service is important. But if you are not kind to yourself and at the same time take yourself for granted, then it is not sustainable.
You will become exhausted. Maybe angry because you feel like all your time and energy is going to other people and you don’t have time for yourself or your passions.
So reserve time for yourself and for what you need. You need it and you are worth it. And in the long run, it will be the best choice for both you and the people in your life.
10. You deserve love.
“You yourself, like everyone else in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
Buddha
No relationship is more important than the relationship you have with yourself.
So invest time and energy in it. Invest in kindness and patience with yourself.
Discover and get to know yourself better. Forgive yourself and learn from your past so you can make smarter and healthier choices in the days to come. Find support in people and in self-care habits that will recharge you.
Is this easy? No, not always, but the rewards of a loving and understanding relationship with yourself will greatly aid happiness and success in life.
11. Enjoy your time with yourself.
“You’re always with yourself, so you might as well enjoy the company.”
Diane von Furstenberg
You are always with yourself, there is no escape from that.
So you can choose to work on that relationship and on kindness and understanding for yourself, or not.
One way to get to know yourself better and build a positive relationship with yourself is to set aside some time each week or month to do something alone. It could be:
- Take up a hobby like painting.
- Discover new restaurants or cuisines in your own kitchen.
- Discover your life, thoughts and feelings by writing about them in a diary.
12. Don’t worry about what they might think.
“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how rarely they do.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
When I was younger, I often thought about what others would say or do if I said or did something.
But over time I realized that I am not the main character here. Everyone else is busy with their own lives. And with worries about their jobs, children, pets, bills and what other people might think of them.
At first it may seem a bit disappointing that people think about you so rarely, but it is also a liberating thought that can give you the freedom to live your life more the way you want deep down.
Want more tips about being kind to yourself and inspiring quotes about self-compassion? Take a look at these posts:
