Answer:

Showing kindness to others does not have to mean doing something big or life changing. Often it’s the smallest acts of kindness that can have the most impact. A moment of support in a time of need, a quiet word of encouragement, a helping hand to carry a heavy load, or just a smile that says ‘I see you’ can make a world of difference. Whatever the act itself, it’ll be underpinned by four PRINCIPLES:

Awareness – we must be aware of the opportunity to be kind. We can’t recognise the need if we are completely absorbed in our thoughts, our own world, or our on-line alter egos.

Non-judgment – we must be prepared to suspend judgment if we want to be truly kind. It’s not for us to judge the good or bad, right or wrong of another PERSON’s situation. It’s only for us to recognise there is an opportunity for us to be kind.

Action – we must act in a friendly, generous and considerate manner to the person in front of us. Awareness without action can’t be kind.

Unconditional – being kind means offering kindness without conditions or expectation of reward. The real reward for a kindness is in the inner positivity, rather than any external reward or recognition.

Being kind to yourself

Being kind to yourself is not just a nice idea, it’s an essential form of self care and a vital foundation for sustained kindness to others. REMEMBER those aircraft safety briefings that stress the importance of putting on your own oxygen mask before helping others? Well, kindness to yourself is a bit like that.

Often when I’m working with people, it quickly becomes apparent that they’re so strongly committed to taking care of everyone and everything around them that they’ve forgotten to take care of themselves. They’re going through life trying so hard to look after others, all the while not realising they don’t have their own oxygen mask on. Eventually they reach breaking point and end up sitting in front of me.

Here are just a few simple ways in which you can show yourself a bit of kindness today and every day.

Self-awareness

Being kind to yourself starts by building your self-awareness, listening to your internal voice with a sense of CURIOSITY. What are you telling yourself, how often are you being negative or hard on yourself? How infrequently are you praising yourself, recognising all the things you are so good at? Consciously recognise all the positive things about yourself.

Generosity

Be generous with yourself and do things just for you. Give yourself time, disconnect from technology for a few hours and get out into nature. So many people unhesitatingly give themselves to other people and yet find it very difficult to be as generous to themselves.