Treat Yourself as a Friend

This is the approach for you if you find it easy to offer support and kindness to others. It’s worth reminding yourself that whilst we know we can’t always take away a friend’s pain, when we acknowledge how they feel and provide comfort, we help them get through it. If we were to give them a hard time when they were already suffering, we would likely add to their pain. Try offering the same to yourself… How to practise it 1. First, think about when a close friend feels bad about themselves or is struggling. How do you tend to respond (especially when you’re at your best)? Maybe draw on an example and note down what you might do, say, and the tone you take. 2. Now think about times when you are struggling or feel bad about yourself. How do you tend to respond to yourself? What do you do, say, and what tone do you take? 3. Explore the differences… Why do you think your approach differs? 4. What fears or beliefs do you think might be at play in treating yourself differently? 5. Write about the potential impact on you if you were able to respond to yourself as you do a close friend when you are struggling. 6. Set an intention to be more mindful of this in the future and bring it to mind when it feels appropriate. Tips for practising and personalisation. o It can help to think about someone who offers kindness and support to you when you are struggling. What would they say/do when responding to you?