It’s ok to be gentle with yourself

Blah blah blah is what most people hear when you say mindfulness. It’s all hippy, dippy, alternative shite, right? ​

Well I’ve been looking at mindfulness as it’s one of the buzzwords that sits alongside wellbeing and self care, and yes I’ve found the majority to be unsuitable, but there ​are also some good courses out there. 

Just in case you’ve been living in your classroom and never get out, I’ll briefly run down what it is. Mindfulness is training your brain to consciously be in the present to reduce stress levels and optimise wellbeing. It also allows you to fully engage with the task at hand ​for best performance.

The last mindfulness workshop I did began with rolling a sultana around in my hand, then my mouth to bring my brain into the task at hand. I didn’t find it engaging enough to remember much more of it or to practice it once the workshop was over.

But now that we know more about brain function, mindfulness has become more than sultanas, it’s evolved to include positive psychology bringing it much more into the what we need right now category of wellbeing.

Now into what I think is THE most important takeaway....YOU NEED TO BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF.. Yes I had to tell it because we are too often into the whole ‘being very hard on ourselves if we are not perfect’. 

We can allow ourselves to make mistakes, to not be be able to do something, because it’s practice that enables you to be able to be good at something. 

Mindfulness is about stopping the negative self talk when what we want to do doesn’t come easily. It’s hard work bringing your thoughts back to the task at hand when there are so many other things all jostling each other for your attention. But don’t beat yourself up about it. It’ll happen.

Being  gentle with yourself is the highest form of self love and self care you can practice, and that’s powerful.

Leanne xx