Keep Kind and carry on with these phrases...
Jayne Hardy’s new pocket-sized book, Kind Words For Unkind Days: A Guide To Surviving And Thriving In Difficult Times, was under way long before 2020 posed its particular challenges.
‘We planned it last year,’ says Jayne (pictured), 39, the founder of The Blurt Foundation, a social enterprise she set up in 2011 to help people struggling with mental health, having experienced depression herself. ‘Every week, we send kind words to our community via email, which gave us the idea of kind cards for unkind days. If we can show self-kindness, it impacts everything we do and how we interact with others.’
Here, Jayne shares some helpful go-to tips.
Let it out
‘When we stew and think, fears grow bigger so express them to somebody you trust. Or write a journal. Getting it down in black and white rationalises it.’
sLow down
‘When we feel overwhelmed, there’s a sense of urgency and stress that makes you feel you need to plough on but it’s a cue something needs to change. It might feel counter-intuitive but slow down and renegotiate the expectations you have on yourself, such as deadlines.’
acKnowLedge the mess
‘Piles of things on the desk or a “floordrobe” is a physical representation of what’s going on mentally. You’ll get to it but you need to take care of yourself first. Whatever you need, make space for it.’
cherish the smaLL things
‘Often, we think of self-care as elaborate spa weekends but I’m a great believer in micro-moments. Have a cup of tea in silence, read a few pages of a book, make a list, stretch. Little respites are anchoring amid the noise.’
Be oBjective
‘Don’t beat yourself up about mistakes, they’re teaching you something. Look at them objectively (what went wrong, how you would do it differently), apologise if you need to and forgive yourself. You’re doing your best with what you know.’
Find inspiration
‘We all lose our way at some point so don’t blame yourself. Use a scrapbook, Pinterest board or Instagram for the things that speak to you. It’ll give you a good idea of who you are and where you want to go.’
this too shaLL pass
‘Loss of hope is an awful feeling. Remind yourself you’ve got through bad times before and keep telling yourself you’ll get through it. Both good and bad times pass – we’re not in either state forever.’