Self-gratitude
Oh wait, there isn’t a suggestion to thank myself?
While gratitude has been commonly practiced and talked about among researchers and psychologists in the past decade, the concept of self-gratitude is lesser known but it definitely deserves some attention.
Self-gratitude is a subset of self-care and self-love. On top of expressing our outward appreciation to others (people, environment, external factors), we want to extend that kindness and acknowledgement to ourselves. Self-gratitude entails mindfulness, including making the conscious effort to recognize our own positive traits.
Practicing gratitude helps us cope with hard times, especially if we’re able to find the strength within. It creates a mindset shift to focus on what we have rather than what we lack. Self-gratitude also helps in building confidence, creating healthy and happy self-relationships, essentially improving overall quality of life.
Have you found yourself in a situation where someone gives you a compliment or tries to thank you and you go…
Sometimes it’s easier to nitpick what’s wrong than to acknowledge what’s right. For some of us, even thinking about our strengths makes us uncomfortable. Praise and compliments can make us feel awkward, and we often don’t know how to respond.
Well, other than waiting for approval or acknowledgement, when was the last time you thanked yourself for all the great things you have accomplished or challenges you’ve overcome? Even if the praise doesn't come, give yourself the validation you deserve.
I personally relate this topic to mental health. Often, family members and caregivers play a huge role in helping and supporting their loved ones who experience mental health conditions. Sometimes, we forget that caring for a family member with severe mental illnesses can be mentally and physically overwhelming. More so when someone is constantly giving; emotional, financial, or practical support.
If that sounds familiar to you, here are some tips on coping and supporting someone with mental illness: [1] [2]
Caregiver burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion; damaging for both you and the person you are caring for. Some signs and symptoms include, but are not limited to: fatigue, anxiety, depression, irritability, communication withdrawal, and loss of interest.
Dealing with a mental health illness is a journey, and similar to caregiving, it can be a long and demanding journey. To prevent burnout, it is important for caregivers to check-in on their own emotional and physical health to better handle the challenges ahead.
In order to give we must first fill our cups.
Now, go thank yourself! Here’s a little help to get you started:
- For being a better person
- For not giving up
- For not giving in to your struggles
- For sticking through your beliefs
- For being disciplined
- For following your gut
- For letting go of what doesn’t serve you
- For taking care of yourself
- For standing up for yourself
- For making mistakes
- For seeking help
- For recognising your strengths
- For embracing your weakness
- For accepting yourself
- For conquering your fears
- For loving yourself
- For how far you have come
- For achieving your milestones
- For all the things that’ve made you proud
- For making time for yourself
Leave a comment and let me know what you thank yourself for and how it makes you feel. Or if you would like to share your story, email it to alex@mindful-company.com and you’ll hear from us soon.
Til’ next time.
x
Cherlin