Here at North Coast Medispa, we talk a lot about self care. It’s at the heart of what we do. We want you to know that you are beautiful and worth taking care of. But today, we want to go one step further and talk about self-compassion.

This is more than just taking care of yourself. This is about being nice to yourself. And it’s a lot harder to do than you may think! Yet being nice to yourself is the cure to negative body image. Let’s look at how. What does Self-Compassion look like?

When you have compassion for another person, it makes you want to help them. You show kindness, empathy, and understanding. You listen to them. You may also help them deal with problems, big or small. When you have self-compassion, you do these things for yourself. You feel these things for yourself. This is a sign of an emotionally healthy person. You might be tempted to think you’re being selfish. But self-compassion is never selfish.

Remember, people will naturally treat others the way they feel about themselves. People who are mean to others usually have a low opinion of themselves. In the same way, if you can show yourself compassion, it will help you feel more compassionate towards others.

Have a Healthy Mindset

Attitude is everything. The way you look at the world will shape your actions, which in turn shape the world itself. Getting your mindset right is the best way to improve your outlook on life. If you want a mindset of self-compassion, focus on thinking positive thoughts about yourself. Make sure you challenge any negative thoughts that pop up. Try to only think nice things about yourself that make you confident and happy.

Watch How You Talk To Yourself

Each of us thinks over ten thousand thoughts every day. In all that busyness in the mind, we can become too familiar with negative thinking. It’s time to start recognising those thoughts and stopping them in their tracks. A good test is to ask yourself, ‘would I say those thoughts to someone I love?’ If the answer is no, then you shouldn’t think it about yourself. Because you can love yourself. And you should love yourself.

Monitor Outside Messages

When you hear advice from magazines or Instagram influences, don’t just accept it without question. Stop and consider if it’s helpful. You may find it is putting pressure on you. Most of the advice you hear is meant to be helpful. But there is so much advice out there. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. You may feel like you constantly need to do more, or be better. It’s ok to listen to some messages. They might help you. But if you listen to everything, it can crush you. Sometimes, you have to ignore it. So monitor those messages. You can listen to a few. But don’t say yes to everything.

Be Forgiving

Did you know it’s possible to forgive someone even when they haven’t done anything wrong? It’s true. Sometimes you need to forgive, just because you thought they did something wrong. Well, same holds true for yourself. There’s nothing wrong with you. But you might think that there is. So it’s important to forgive yourself for the parts you don’t like, just as a way of letting go of the resentment. Remember: forgiveness is about acknowledging something unpleasant, and letting it go. You can do that about yourself.

Be Thankful

We all have something to be thankful for. But we sometimes forget to be thankful, when we fixate on our problems or the things we don’t have. Thankfulness is one of the major pathways to inner peace. It helps you let go of the need to get more things, or achieve more goals. Being thankful helps you appreciate the people in your life. And it helps you appreciate yourself. Be thankful for who you are. For the person you are, the body you were born with, and the life that you have. Then you will enjoy these things even more.

Make Enjoyment Your Goal

John Lennon once famously answered a test as a child. The question was ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ and he said, ‘Happy.’ This is a goal we should all strive for. We often set goals for ourselves. Maybe you want to buy a certain house, or have a number of kids. But we rarely make happiness our goal. We tend to assume if we accomplish a lot in life, happiness will naturally follow. Yet we can miss out on happiness if we don’t directly look for it.

So show yourself some Self-Compassion, and seek out things that you enjoy. Prioritise them, schedule them into your day. Set a goal to enjoy life. Celebrate Your Quirks

There is so much that is unique about you. You might have a strange sense of humour, or like a TV show that no one else does. And that’s great! You should be proud of those things. Celebrate your uniqueness. Be proud of your quirks, and don’t let anyone tell you to change them. If you can have a bit of self-compassion, you can grow to love those things about you that are a little weird.

We hope you’ve learnt something about the beauty of loving yourself. If there’s anything else you need, North Coast Medispa is available to help you along with your goal of having healthy self-compassion and a positive body image.