I’ve never been one to practice self compassion. I live and die by the belief of kindness towards others, but the idea of holding myself to that same standard? Never. As an incredibly extroverted person, the isolation and lack of physical contact with others has manifested some new challenges for me. At first glance, I was infuriated with myself. How could I let all my goals and plans fizzle out just because of a silly virus? I kept telling myself I needed to do more, and do better, until I realized I was simply burning myself out.
After catching covid-19 in late August, it took me nearly a month to get back to “normal”. To be completely honest, I’m still not quite there yet. As I tried each day to work myself back to where I was, I finally concluded that the only way to get better was to be considerably kinder to myself. Lacking a good church home in South Carolina, I’m not often reminded of God’s love for us. If God has such an overflowing love and compassion for us, why can’t I manifest that same energy in my own life? Having self compassion can look so different for each person. Whatever brings you light, and helps you restore your energy, make sure to tune into that during these times. We often forget to check in on ourselves, and when the entire world is spinning around us, it’s more important than ever. Self compassion can be as simple as a daily check in, focusing on places of stress in your body and letting the tension out. It can be as grand as taking a day off of work to read, go on a hike, or just take a nap during the day. God loved us so much he gave his only son so that we could live freely and make mistakes. If He can do that for us, we can take it upon ourselves to love what he has created, and give it the compassion and forgiveness it deserves.
- Anaiah Kenas
10 for 10 Daily Inspiration | Day 8: Self Compassion
