Be KIND to Yourself
Welcome to a new month in our 12 Steps to Self-Care series. This month’s step may be the hardest to practice, but it also has some of the most rewarding and transformative results. With that in mind, are you ready to be KIND to yourself?
Often, we are our own worst critic. We are hard on ourselves and focus on our faults while overlooking or downplaying our strengths. This can be developed through a lifetime of not feeling good enough. While it’s normal to have these thoughts, as none of us are immune to doubt, we can hold ourselves back without the balance of self-compassion. That’s why this month’s self-care goal is to learn, understand, and implement compassion and true kindness toward yourself.
The words you say matter.
Japanese scientist Dr. Emoto researched the effects spoken words and intentions have on water. He talked to one water sample with high-vibrational words, such as love, abundance, trust, etc.; to the other sample, he used low-vibrational words, like anger, hate, grief, etc. After using these words, he viewed the water through a microscope and found that its very structure had changed.
The water reacted to the energy and intention of the speaker.
The water sample exposed to the high-vibrational words was prettier, more intricate, and healthier than the lower-vibrational samples. Since we are mostly comprised of water, Dr. Emoto concluded that our bodies react in the same way.
As you practice kindness and self-compassion, take care to track not only how you speak but also the words you choose. Think of words as energy. Your words begin as thoughts and are given life when you speak them. Your spoken words are so powerful that they can dictate your life experience.
Just as with the water, when you speak positively to yourself and others, your worldly experience tends to be vibrationally higher. You can practice this through affirmations. If you’ve never done that before, choose a positive intention that resonates with you. Speak this intention over and over again until it manifests in your life. Speaking positive words around others also alters the brain by releasing “feel good” chemicals, like oxytocin, and engages our internal reward system.
Keep in mind that if focusing on kindness and positivity brings us to a higher vibration, the opposite is also true. People who speak from a negative mindset tend to function at a lower vibration. When you speak from an emotionally charged perspective, you can cause harm, even unintentionally.
The energy of your words carries authority and intention.
Negative words release chemicals that feed into stress responses. Focusing on, hearing, or speaking negative words may have long-term effects on emotional regulation and eating and sleeping patterns.
As multidimensional, energetic beings, our words impact all levels of our body, mind, and spirit. Whatever we focus on, the stronger that response becomes. So choose kindness and compassion. By uplifting yourself you also raise your vibrational energy, opening yourself up to an entirely new way of living. Use affirmations and positive statements about yourself. It’s not bragging, it’s healthy.
Imagine how empowering your voice can be when you intentionally speak words of healing and love! As you move through September, find moments to speak positively. If you need an affirmation to start your self-compassion journey, just say, “I am enough.”
Cindy Parsons,
RN, BSN, MS-HCA, SEM
With warmth and healing energy,
Cindy Parsons and the EMS Team
Holistic Nurse
Energy Medicine Practitioner
Instructor—Energy Medicine Specialists
(Read more about Cindy here).