5 Surprising Compassion Practices for Your Well-Being
Your well-being determines your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health and every relationship you have, including the one with yourself. Compassion is the first practice you learn in the Well-Being Coaching Initiative because it’s proven to significantly improve your stress and engagement.
An INC. article revealed studies show Self-Compassion is a wonder drug to help you stop procrastinating, save you money, and be more successful. Yes please! How can you be kind to yourself? Here are 5 compassion practices to try that may surprise you:
1. Prioritize yourself.
You cannot be kind to yourself if you don’t make yourself a priority. Scheduling acts of kindness to have quiet time with your coffee, take a walk, or eat lunch is kind and supports you to be your best.
2. Do less.
Nurses share a common belief they should be able to do more, underestimating the time and energy everything takes. Doing less is kind because it requires you to slow down and be present to decide what is most important instead of doing more.
3. Get outside.
Your well-being sometimes requires a different perspective. Getting outside in almost any weather provides a kind shift, and getting outside of your office, unit, or familiar surroundings can help you get outside of your busy mind.
4. Ask for help.
High functioning and self-reliant nurses often pride themselves on how independently they can operate day to day. Asking for help with things you don’t have to do or enjoy, like cleaning, organizing, or shopping is being kind to yourself.
5. Learn to grow.
Every mistake, poor choice, or misstep you make provides you with the opportunity to grow and learn about yourself. Ruminating about it is not kind or productive but making the decision to do it differently next time, is.
Your well-being begins with how kind you are willing to be to yourself. There are more ways to practice self-compassion, and once you start making the space and time for them, you will determine your favorites. Compassion is kind, and when you start with yourself, everyone in your life benefits.