How to Be Kind to Yourself and Boost Your Mental Health

Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:

• How to Be Kind to Yourself and Boost Your Mental Health
• From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
• Video: Biipolar and Heartbreak: 3 Tips for Coping
• Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
• Mental Health Quote

How to Be Kind to Yourself and Boost Your Mental Health

Being kind to yourself is a big challenge when you live with a mental illness.  Mental health conditions can be cruel. They make us question everything we think, say, and do, and they make us question what others think say, and do.  Mental illness often makes people angry with themselves. Some people learn to hate themselves because of their struggles with mental illness.

Self-loathing can deepen the effects of any mental illness. It also makes it harder to work to overcome challenges. This self-loathing is behind so much of the negative way we treat ourselves and the healing actions we deny ourselves. Self-loathing is tough, but it’s possible to replace it with self-nurturing.

Start being kind to yourself to boost your mental health with these ideas:

• Pick and regularly do one self-care activity, even if you don’t think you deserve it.
• Choose a short physical activity to do daily, even if you don’t think you have the energy.
• Start a list of things you are proud of about yourself, even if you write just one per day.
• Treat yourself to something you like (or used to like), even if you don’t yet feel the joy in it.

To be kind to yourself, plan what you wish you could do and despite difficulties, do it anyway. It’s how you show yourself kindness while boosting mental health.

Articles Related to Self-Kindness

• Self-Compassion Practices for Self-Care
• Journaling as Self-Care for Your Mental Health
• Why Self-Care is Important for Your Physical and Mental Health
• Practicing Self-Compassion Increases Your Self-Esteem
• How to Be Kind to Yourself and Build Self-Esteem
• Kindness and Improving Self-Esteem

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: Does your mental health make it difficult to be kind to yourself? We invite you to participate by sharing your thoughts, experiences, and knowledge on the HealthyPlace Facebook page.

From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

• How I Found the Right Treatment for Bipolar 2 Disorder
• Resisting Recovery: Choosing the Devil You Know
• Effects of Stress on Schizophrenia
• Online DID Support Groups -- The Pros and Cons
• Learning to Love Myself, Schizoaffective Disorder and All
• What Is Coercive Control?
• How to Use Authentic Thinking to Build Self-Esteem
• 6 Ways to Distract Yourself from Anxiety
• Meditating with Mala Beads Reduces My Stress and Anxiety
• We Need Mental Health Care Now
• What Do Those Who Self-Harm Have in Common?

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blog homepage for the latest posts.

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From HealthyPlace YouTube Channel

I'm Hannah. I Have Bipolar 2

Biipolar and Heartbreak: 3 Tips for Coping

Heartbreak is one of the most painful experiences, and when you live with bipolar disorder the emotional extremes can make it ten times worse. (Watch Hannah and subscribe to the HealthyPlace YouTube channel for more great mental health videos.)

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Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. Feeling Helpless When You're Suffering from Depression
2. Loss of Identity in a Verbally Abusive Relationship
3. ADHD and Creativity: Your Creative Gift Also Treats ADHD

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

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Mental Health Quote

"When you look at a person, any person, remember that everyone has a story. Everyone has gone through something that has changed."

Read more mental health stigma quotes.

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