{"id":13036,"date":"2022-12-08T22:35:29","date_gmt":"2022-12-08T22:35:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/highgrove.co.nz\/?p=13036"},"modified":"2022-12-08T22:35:29","modified_gmt":"2022-12-08T22:35:29","slug":"7-ways-to-practise-self-kindness-in-retirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/highgrove.co.nz\/7-ways-to-practise-self-kindness-in-retirement\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Ways to Practise Self-Kindness in Retirement"},"content":{"rendered":"
Self-kindness plays an important role for overall well being, especially in retirement. But it doesn\u2019t always come so easy for a lot of us. It can feel self-indulgent or perhaps even a little vain to be \u2018nice\u2019 to ourselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, from feelings of isolation, to not enjoying everything that comes with \u2018ageing gracefully\u2019, our mental health can often take a bit of a hit once we retire. Which is why practising self-kindness is essential.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So try and spend a few minutes everyday to focus on treating yourself kindly, as it can make our brains a much more safe and comfortable place to spend time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The best way to do this is imagine that you\u2019re talking to a friend. If they were saying negative<\/span> things about themselves, or were feeling anxious about a situation – you would only treat<\/span> them with care, consideration and kind words. And there\u2019s no reason why you\u2019re not allowed<\/span> to speak to yourself that way, you deserve it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Frustration is a topic that comes up a lot for those in retirement. You may not be able to do<\/span> all the things you used to, or other people may treat you differently. You may also feel a little<\/span> \u2018stuck\u2019 – depending on where you live and how far you feel comfortable to drive\/travel.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But here\u2019s the thing, we all waste a lot of time and energy annoyed at things we can\u2019t<\/span> change, and beating ourselves up because we \u2018can\u2019t do this\u2019 or \u2018can\u2019t do that\u2019 anymore. So<\/span> instead, why not focus on the things we can do? You\u2019ll find you\u2019re a lot kinder to yourself if<\/span> you can be okay with things that are out of your control (such as ageing and less mobility).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Writing a letter to yourself is an ideal way to release a lot of feelings, thoughts and emotions.<\/span> You may want to remind yourself of the achievements you\u2019re most proud of, or put together a<\/span> plan to achieve some goals in the future. You could also note down all the things you like<\/span> about yourself, something to easily refer back to when you need a little \u2018pick me up\u2019.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Practising daily gratitude is a really great tool for self-kindness. It allows you to really zone in<\/span> on all those things that are wonderful about your life, even the simplest things such as a<\/span> warm, cosy bed, delicious food in the fridge and lovely friends to visit.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Thinking about all those things around us that make our days happy and fulfilled has such a<\/span> positive effect on the mind, allowing us to remember what makes our life great, and<\/span> ultimately – what makes \u2018us\u2019 pretty special too!<\/span><\/p>\n Put yourself out there and joined a club where you didn\u2019t know anyone? Great job! That\u2019s a<\/span> hard thing to do. Preserved with a tricky puzzle and solved it? Nice one! Proud of something<\/span> you made? So you should be! All of these things definitely deserve a pat on the back<\/span> because celebrating the wins, no matter how small, is an essential part of self-kindness.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019d cheer someone else on for these achievements, so know that you are allowed to do<\/span> that for yourself too.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Treat yourself! From a long, hot bath on a Saturday evening, to reading your book in bed till<\/span> late morning because it\u2019s too hard to put down – make time to enjoy all of those simple<\/span> pleasures in life. Priortising self-care is an essential part of our wellbeing, because no one<\/span> else is going to do it for us! And again, by putting these little rituals in place, we\u2019re laying all<\/span> the right foundations for our mental health.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/b>Self-talk has the potential to knock us down and sadly, keep us there, especially when we<\/span> can\u2019t get rid of the negative chatter. But there are ways to stop it, we just have to <\/span>\u2018flip the<\/span> script\u2019<\/span>.<\/span> So instead of heading straight to things like \u2018I\u2019m not good at this\u2019 or \u2018I\u2019m a failure\u2019, we<\/span> can actually learn to change that narrative, replacing it with something more positive and<\/span> productive, such as – \u2018I\u2019m still learning\u2019 and \u2018sometimes I fail and that\u2019s okay\u2019.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Self-kindness can feel a bit \u2018weird\u2019 when you first start out. But know that it\u2019s an important part of your well being toolkit. Just like nourishing our bodies with healthy food and moving on a regular basis, self-kindness is another element of looking after ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Speak nicely to yourself<\/b><\/b><\/h3>\n
Accept what you can\u2019t control<\/b><\/b><\/h3>\n
Put pen to paper<\/b><\/b><\/h3>\n
Focus on gratitude<\/b><\/h3>\n
Give yourself a pat on the back<\/b><\/h3>\n
Indulge in things you enjoy<\/b><\/h3>\n
Minimise the negative chatter<\/b><\/h3>\n