How to be kind to yourself at work
Discover ways to be kinder to yourself in the workplace and reap the benefits for your wellbeing.
Imagine this: you’re running late to a meeting because of circumstances beyond your control.
Are you more likely to tell yourself, "it's OK, these things happen," or "I'm terrible at time management"? Do you choose self-kindness or put yourself down?
If you're more likely to put yourself down, you're not alone. Everyone experiences negative self-talk. Our brains are wired for negativity – this negativity bias helps keep us safe.
"We're wired to notice things that present a threat so we can keep ourselves alive," explains Groov VP Clinical Dr Fiona Crichton.
“That means we’re more attuned to the negative things – like criticism.”
Our inner critic will always be present, but there are things we can do to make it quieter and stop it from eroding our self-worth. Self-kindness is a great place to start.
The science of self-kindness
Studies show self-kindness has incredible benefits for your wellbeing. For example, being kind to yourself triggers the release of oxytocin (one of your brain's feel-good hormones). It increases happiness and optimism, builds resilience, and helps you bounce back from stress.
Self-criticism creates a very different reaction in the brain. When we're too hard on ourselves, the amygdala – our brain's 'lookout' – may perceive this as a threat and release stress hormones. Harsh self-criticism can also trigger our brain's fight-or-flight response.
Research shows spending too much time in fight or flight is detrimental to our wellbeing and can even lead to chronic stress or burnout. Self-kindness is a powerful way to dial down our fight-or-flight response and rewire our brains for optimism.
Self-kindness in the workplace
Practicing self-kindness in the workplace can help you feel better about yourself, your job, and the people around you. It's a powerful way to remind yourself that we're all human and doing the best we can.
Here are some practical ways to practice self-kindness at work.
· Reframe mistakes as learning experiences
· Celebrate personal accomplishments
· Speak to yourself as you would a friend
· Notice small good things about your work
· Take microbreaks throughout the day to breathe and just be
· Set boundaries to protect your time and energy
· Ask for help when you need it
If in doubt, remember that self-kindness is about allowing yourself to be human. It's recognizing your strengths and weaknesses and feeling good about both. Also, know that it's normal to make mistakes – doing so is often a gift and an opportunity to learn.