It’s not good giving yourself a hard time at any time, but especially so when you’re feeling stressed.  Our critical inner voice can often make us feel ten times worse so it’s important to find ways to quieten the critic and embrace your champion. The stress we’re feeling might just be telling us to slow down or do one thing at a time rather than trying to juggle so many things.

Being kind to yourself, isn’t being soft.  It’s about giving yourself a break, like going for a walk in the fresh air, so that you can return with renewed energy and focus.  Of course, there are lots of other things you can do to be kind to yourself, such as make time for fun, exercise and relaxation.  Connecting with others, including our fur babies, are great ways to reduce stress. There is now research that shows our moods and wellbeing is enhanced by spending up to 20 minutes a day with our pets.  Maverick, my cat, makes me smile everyday with the antics he gets up to!

And don’t forget your self-talk!  It’s vital that you speak to yourself with care and compassion.  I love the Lisa M Hayes quote ‘Be careful how you are talking to yourself, because you are listening’.  And we all know how easy it is to reinforce the wrong message!