3 ways Self-compassion can help you with your diabetes
Apr 25, 2023
I'll start with a quote from Louise Hay. "Remember you have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn't worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens."
Why self-compassion? Many of us and especially women, have been told over and over again, you're not okay. You're not pretty enough. You're not thin enough. You're not smart enough. You are just not enough. You get messages constantly from the internet, television and ads. "Look how beautiful this woman is and look how terrible and ugly you are." It's this constant attempt to break down who you are so that you'll buy their products and they'll make money. The basic message is you're not okay the way you are. When you compare yourself to others, it just causes a lot of pain and suffering.
Self-compassion is recognizing your own suffering. This might not be very easy because you've been doing it for so long, you don't even know that you're suffering, much less be able to acknowledge it. When you can't acknowledge and accept that you're in a difficult situation or some kind of a problem is going on, you end up disconnecting emotionally from yourself and others around you.
When I make a mistake, I want everyone around me to give me the widest possible latitude. Something like: "Look, you know what, you made a mistake. It's okay. I know you'll do better next time." I want everybody to treat me with severe forgiveness. But I don't treat people that way. So I need to shift my own balance of acknowledging my suffering and be able to connect with others through that.
What are the core components of self-compassion?
- One, be kind and gentle to yourself without criticism or judgement.
- Two, recognize that we are all in this life together. We're all dealing with everything going on in the world today such as climate change, violence and more. If we take care of each other, we are not so isolated and disconnected.
- Three, be aware of your situation and accept it for what it is without a lot of pain or exaggeration.
What are the benefits of self-compassion?
We have the power to radically transform our mental and physical reality. By accepting who we are and not who we think we should be, we can fully live our experience. When you are present and living your experience, you can change it up. You can make it better. You can make it different.
Finally, with diabetes, it's so important to practice good self-care. Underneath good self-care is kind and gentle self-compassion. When you can have self-compassion, it'll make a big difference in how you feel and how you take care of yourself.
For more information on self-compassion, read "Self-Compassion" by Kristin Neff, PhD.
Dr. Elaine
Download my free 30 Day Guide to Manage or Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for advice about a specific medical condition.
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