One of the hardest life lessons that I struggle with every day is to be kind to myself. As a parent, as an author, as a chronic sufferer, as a human, it is hard to remember this simple truth: Being yourself is enough. You don't need to overachieve.
Burnout is a serious problem in today's society, accounting for too much angst in people's lives. It's easy to see everyone else and compare ourselves to them. One person is better than you at one thing and the next person better at something else. If you compare yourself to the greats in each category, then you're setting yourself up for failure. Competing in all things leads to overdoing it, too little rest, and eventual burnout.
Remember to be kind to yourself.
Depression is another result of not being kind to yourself, and not being kind to yourself is a result of depression. The two can go hand in hand, pulling you into a downward spiral of doom. Isolation contributes to this vortex of sadness, lacking the positive opinions of other people.
Remember to be kind to yourself.
As an author/artist, isolation contributes to the challenge of being kind to yourself. There is always the question of whether others will like what you created. Putting yourself out there for the judgment of others is hard. To make matters worse, there is so much competition that it is next to impossible to be seen, therefore it can feel as if nobody likes you.
Remember to be kind to yourself.
Parents wonder if they're doing a great job or not. The stakes are so high, and you have no idea if they will succeed as fully formed human beings. By success, I don't mean at a job, but as an emotionally stable individual, not afraid to express themselves. You can't know until they are adults, only guess what will help them along the way.
Remember to be kind to yourself.
Illness, mental or physical, can impede one's ability to achieve, meaning that burnout can happen at a reduced level of accomplishment. I never understood this, or gave this any headspace until I started suffering chronic illness. It can be hard to learn to not compare yourself to a healthy person. Lots of self-reflection can help you learn that you are worthy for just being yourself.
Remember to be kind to yourself.
Be kind to others. Everyone needs an act of kindness from time to time. We live in a world where it is easy to assign blame and villainize those with different goals, levels of talent, or views. Anger at others may make you feel better in the moment but results in chronic angst and stress, which isn't good for anyone. Making others feel better about themselves can result in an improved value of self-worth regardless of your circumstances.
I wish I could have read and believed in posts like this while I strived to achieve great things and even more so when I descended into chronic illness. I used to believe that if I focused on my flaws in a negative way, I'd learn to be better. Doing so can be a powerful tool, but not a good one for happiness. I am proof that it is possible to learn to be kind to yourself.
I hope that this post helps even one person.
As always, I appreciate your support of self-publishing and indie authors. In the name of putting myself out there, here are a few of my works.