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Pink Shirt Day Feb 22, 2023
This year we are introducing the concept of being kind to yourself. Kindness to ourselves is kindness to others. As our own well-being increases, we are more able and likely to be patient, supportive, forgiving, and loving.
Practicing kindness towards yourself is often referred to as self compassion. Self-compassion entails being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate, rather than ignoring our pain or belittling ourselves with self-criticism Forgiving and nurturing yourself can set the stage for better health and relationships. It can also lower levels of anxiety and depression as self-compassionate people are kind to themselves when they are suffering, which reduces their anxiety and related depression. As always, modelling the behaviour is the best way for your children to learn to be kind to themselves. If you make a mistake rather than criticizing yourself, you can say, "I made a mistake and that is okay, I did my best. I will know better for next time." Help your kids to integrate self compassion practices into their everyday routines right now so that it feels natural to do it even when they‘re adults. They can do that by being kind to their own bodies, demonstrating grit, standing up for themselves, and maintaining life balance. Following are some specific practices you can encourage and support:
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