The Kindness Illusion: When You Think You're Being Kind to Yourself, but Aren't.

In this episode, I open up about how, in January, I found myself being quite unkind to myself, often in ways I didn’t even notice at first. This realisation sparked an idea for this episode. Hehe, something good did come out of it!

We all know that when we’re in a negative rut, we can self-sabotage in obvious ways. But what about the subtle, everyday ways we’re unkind to ourselves...the thoughts, habits, and small self-criticisms that feel so natural, we don’t even question them? Because they’re hard to identify, we rarely make an effort to change them. They almost feel like a part of us.

I hope this episode helps you cultivate more kindness and compassion for yourself. We often fail to give ourselves patience and grace...whether we’re struggling with something personal, feeling unmotivated at work, or dealing with hormones. Some of what I share comes from my own experience, and some from research, but what I’ve learned is that we all do this in one way or another.

These “small” moments of self-neglect aren’t so small after all. They build up over time, affecting our self-esteem, happiness, and even our physical well-being leading to stress headaches, anxiety in the chest, or that uncomfortable feeling in the tummy Yet, we rarely pause to work on these things because we assume they’re just a normal part of life. The good news is, they don’t have to be. I hope that thought is refreshing to hear for you!

Below are 10 ways we can be unkind to ourselves and this is what I unpack in this episode.

1. Overcommitting & People-Pleasing –

2. Ignoring Our Intuition

3. Forcing Productivity

4. Minimising Our Feelings

5. Delaying Joy

6. Not Allowing Ourselves to Receive

7. Comparing Ourselves

8. Carrying Old Guilt

9. Dismissing Our Wins

10. Living in ‘Should’ Energy

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@passaroundthesmile

@cleomassey

The Pass Around the Smile podcast is recorded on Bundjalung Country, in South East Queensland, Australia. We acknowledge the Yugambeh people of the Bundjalung Nation, the traditional owners of this land. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.