This week (16-20 September 2013) is the first ever Women’s Wellness Week.  It’s aim is to raise awareness and inspire discussion about women’s health & wellbeing and to encourage us all to be a little kinder to ourselves by spreading the message #bekindtoyou.

It’s being hosted by spabreaks.com, and Body Gossip (for whom I am an Ambassador) are playing a big part in the various different fundraising events that are taking place around the country, the proceeds of which are being donated to the extremely worthwhile charity Look Good Feel Better.

There is a free downloadable #bekindtoyou idea guide available on the Women’s Wellness Week website and I thought I would join in by blogging a different tip every day this week about how to #bekindtoyou…

Tip 1: Give yourself a compliment

I would guess-timate that about 60-75% of the clients I see in my Cognitive Hypnotherapy practice are female.  Without exception, every single one of them regularly put themselves down on a daily (if not hourly) basis.  Not necessarily out loud (although that’s not unheard of) but primarily in their head.

I’ve got pretty good over the years of knowing the exact moment that they do it, and they always look startled when I point it out to them, counteracting their negative voice with something positive. I’ve been there you see, and it’s not a nice place to be.  “I’m not good enough”, “I look terrible today”, “I’m too fat”, “I’m useless”, “It doesn’t matter how hard I try I can never do anything right”, “I’m an awful Mum, my kids are going to be so screwed up” etc etc etc…

It’s hard to feel good when there is a constant nagging voice in your head criticising every single thing you do and being negative about who you are.  You wouldn’t say those things to your best friend, would you?  So why say them to yourself?

Instead, give yourself a compliment.  It doesn’t matter what it is, and you don’t have to stand in front of the mirror saying affirmations out loud (unless you want to of course, in which case, go for it!).  Just saying them to yourself in your head can be enough.

Stop beating yourself up.

You’re doing the best you can with what you’ve got, and that is always, always enough.