“Treat yourself well, darling. We all have days when we feel less than we are.”

Self-compassion is the extension of kindness, warmth, care and understanding towards ourselves when we’re really hurting, or life is difficult.

But often this is very challenging for us.

It feels counter-cultural – and sometimes even wrong – and especially for those who have learned to ‘be strong’, and to always put the needs of other people first.

If this is an area you tend to struggle with then the following exercises might help you with this:

Exercise 1: How Would You Respond to a Friend?

1. Think of a time when a close and valued friend was struggling with something that was difficult for them. If you were able to be with them, and could offer them support, how would you have wanted to respond to your friend? Think of both your verbal and non-verbal…