Saying and Being Kind to Yourself is Important!

Research shows that WHAT YOU SAY to yourself and the WAY YOU TREAT yourself can affect you in so many ways. Being KIND to yourself will tend to affect your thoughts, your feelings, your behaviours, and your relationships POSITIVELY. Being UNKIND to yourself will tend to affect these areas NEGATIVELY.

So, how about practicing some kindness on yourself? Here are a few ideas:

  • Do things you enjoy (e.g., go for walk, play a sport, sing, dance, watch your favourite show, cook or bake…..) at least once a day.
  • Write kind messages on post-it notes (or a piece of paper) and stick them up or put them where you can see them (e.g., on your mirror, in your room, on your dresser). Read them to yourself at least once a day.
  • Start a private “What I like or what is good about me list.” Read it every day.
  • Do something simple but nice for yourself (e.g., have a bubble bath, listen to your favourite music, pet your dog, go for a bike ride, draw…..)
  • As a family, have everybody take a turn saying something nice to every other person in the family. Maybe you could do this during a meal.

Video of the Month

 

Mindful Moments and Meditations of Loving Kindness for your Children and for You

WRDSB promotes mindfulness and mindful meditation techniques and practices because of the proven relationship to calming, self-awareness and improved mental health. Mindful awareness and mindful mediation has been practiced in the Western world for over 40 years without any religious associations.

Try along with your Preschool/Primary Age child (video is six minutes):

Loving Meditation for Kids

For your Elementary Age Child or Young Teen:

Just Like Me and Loving Kindness Compassion Meditation for Kids

For Your Teens:

These meditations and exercises provide ways in which teens can cultivate self-compassion. They are included as home practices in the Making Friends with Yourself Program. Most of them can function to cultivate self-compassion independently of the program. but will work better and make more sense within the context of the program.

And Finally for You:

Self-compassion exercises by Dr. Kristin Neff
Guided meditations raging from 5-20 minutes and exercises to explore self-compassion.

Community Events

Please check to see if the group says OPEN group. If it does, you can join anytime. If the registration deadline was the end of January there may still be room. Please call the number listed to ask.

Woolwich Counselling

KW Counselling

Carizon

Lunch & Learns for Caregivers with WRDSB Psychology Department

Wednesdays from 12:15 – 12:45. Please email Mary Murphy at mary_murphy@wrdsb.ca and put Lunch & Learn in the subject line to request the Zoom link.

February 3: Mindfulness Part 1 – Caregivers Own Practice

February 10: Distress Tolerance

February 17: Mindfulness Part 2 – Supporting a Child’s Practice

February 24: Anxiety Toolbox

 

Download the January Caring/Coping/Connecting as a pdf 

 

For more information about this newsletter please contact Mary Murphy at 519-570-0003 ext. 4172