Life can be hard.

It can be hard for our clients, and it can be hard for us. We need to keep ourselves afloat for many reasons, but one of them is so we can show up for our clients in a way that is regulated, safe, and present.

How do we do that?

One tool I’ve found to be so helpful over and over is self-compassion; showing up for myself with kindness.

You likely already know about Kristen Neff’s research on this, as I share her resources regularly (check out previous years here). I’m also loving Andrea Gibson’s work around self-compassion, and Elizabeth Gilbert’s concept of Letters from Love.

I’d love to know how you practice self-compassion. What do you do when things at work are hard? How do you handle a stumble with a client? Where is it easy for you to practice self-compassion, and where is it challenging? What does the self-talk language you use sound like? Feel free to share as much or as little as you want (I realize we’re diving deep here!) in our groups as we explore this topic together.