For as much emphasis people place on treating others, what about how we treat ourselves?
Growing up, we’re told …
be nice
don’t say mean things
be kind
don’t hit him/her
… It’s been about being nice to everyone around us. Showing compassion to the other person and saying nice things is what’s it’s been about since we entered Kindergarten. Today, in middle school, I repeated everything my teachers and parents told me: don’t say mean things, be nice to him/her, keeps your hands to yourself… And as a professional (teacher, plumber, janitor, college student) showing up before your job starts is courteous, being attentive during work is expected, listening when your boss is speaking is expected, not being intoxicated or overly tired is critical to keeping your position; you get the idea. But what about you?
What about being nice and kind to yourself?
I am closely related to a person who never understood why they were stressed out every work day. I have worked and studied with people who don’t understand why they can’t pay attention. I live with someone who doesn’t understand why their temper flares so quickly some days. And the people I work with don’t understand why their attention spans are up to par, why they get frustrated quickly, nor why new concepts take so long to comprehend.
It’s because they are not being nice to themselves.
Try it. Be nice to yourself these next two weeks and see what happens.
A. Turn off all electronic devices 30 minutes before you are supposed to go to bed.
B. Set your alarm for 5 minutes before you are supposed to get up, and get up when the alarm rings.
C. Keep your morning quiet—no TV or computer or music devices.
D. Take a walk during lunch or after work. Take someone with you or just walk in silence.
Take some time to be nice to yourself. You will relax, get some needed rest, and feel better all around.
I dare you.
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