World Kindness Day

It is Friday November 13th, and today is World Kindness Day. And boy, can the world use a kindness day! 2020 has been a challenging year. Life can feel overwhelming and we may feel powerless at times. However, there is one simple thing we can all do to make a change. We can be kind. That is what the world needs right now. More love, not more hate. Give others the benefit of the doubt because you don’t know what they are going through. Give them a smile. Hold the door open. Let them in front of you while you’re sitting in traffic.

Being kind to others is important, but perhaps even more important, is being kind to yourself. How can you exude love and positivity when you don’t give yourself that same grace and energy?

One thing I have noticed taking care of patients with obesity is how hard people are on themselves, and how negative their self-talk often is. They may have worked incredibly hard all month to do their meal prep, to log their nutrition, to get up every morning and go for a walk. They may be changing their lifestyles in ways that should make them so proud, but instead they come in and the first thing they tell me is how they really messed up and were “so bad” because they had a piece of cake at their son’s birthday party. Weight bias and stigma runs deep, and one of the ways it presents itself is through internalized weight bias and stigma. We start to believe these things about ourselves.

The good thing is that we control our thoughts. No one else can control our thoughts. We can change our thoughts. We can change the way we talk to ourselves. Stop listening to that little voice inside your head that tells you that you aren’t good enough, strong enough, worth enough. Would you talk to a friend that way? Would you talk to someone you love that way? Start treating yourself like you are someone you love. Be kind to yourself.

I changed the way I started my appointments. I started my appointments by asking my patients what went well in the past month.

So, what have you done well this past month? For me, I have been adaptable and flexible this month which, admittedly, is not always easy for me). Remote school was changed to half-day in person, and now is back to full remote, less than two weeks later. I have tried to listen to my children and to be present with them. I have adjusted my morning routine once again, and then again.

What have you done lately that you are proud of? I would love to hear from you. Focus on your successes. Build on them. Celebrate them. Sure, we can all make improvements in areas of our lives, and we continue to strive to be better. Just don’t let your setbacks overshadow your successes, and give yourself the support and love that you deserve.

“The Gate to Happiness is Self-Compassion” ~ a quote from my tea bag tag