Lately, in addition to my therapy work, I’ve been having a blast doing some behind-the-scenes editing and production for some fantastic therapy- and mental health-related podcasts. This week I stepped out in front of the microphone to chat with and interview my dear friend and colleage Rebecca Wong, host of the Connectfulness Practice Podcast, about all things relationships, from practicing loving boundaries, to “feeling ready,” generational trauma (and resilience!), and the power of embracing the awkward moments.
When I was a kid I knew someone who would make mixtapes of just the same song, as many times as could fit, so that he could listen to it all day. This was just in the last years of the Sony Walkman, before CD players took over, and repeat buttons changed the game. But at that time, to manually rewind back to the start of the song you had just heard took time and guesswork, and this guy didn’t have patience for that, he had to have it NOW.
Ok, maybe don’t forget about it completely. Doing things that keep your mind and body feeling good is important, generally speaking. If you’re just focused on doing, then it can be pretty easy to get really unkind to yourself, if you feel like you’re not doing enough of the right things.
So how is self-kindness different?
Kindness isn’t a thing you do, it’s a way you can be, an attitude to take. Learning to treat yourself with kindness means integrating it into every part of your daily life. It’s less about the big gestures, and more about the way that you treat yourself when you’re feeling challenged or self-critical.
