“Too” Hard on Yourself

I think that I’m way too hard on myself in a destructive way. Contrastingly, I have friends who are hard on themselves in a way that holds them accountable to stick to their goals, step outside of their comfort zones, and remain disciplined.

See the difference?

When I’m hard on myself I tend to feed myself a lot of negative thoughts about the person I am and the life I live. It completely demeans my character. There are no reminders of God’s grace, of how powerful seeking Him can be, of how just getting back up when I’ve fallen is part of life.

While I don’t have a one-size-fits-all, 100% guaranteed solution to this kind of mental warfare, I can share some things I’ve been learning and trying along my never-ending mental wellness journey.

If you struggle with being too hard on yourself in a destructive way, having at least one person to talk to is helpful. Journaling is a great tool to express how you’re feeling. Prayer is always available and always effective but I realize sometimes it can feel like you’re talking to a wall. It’s hard to admit because I know how good God is; I’ve experienced this and I still struggle to keep a healthy prayer life. Nonetheless, this is the truth of my flawed thinking.

What I’ve noticed is that anything that allows me to get out of my head and connect with others who have my best interest at heart has always helped pour life back into me. When I lack motivation and my self-esteem is nowhere to be found, it helps to be vulnerable. Whether I’m in counseling, talking to a friend, or crying out to God, it helps get all that negativity OUT of me. I can breathe and refocus on just doing the next right thing, instead of overwhelming myself with turning my entire life around in 24 hours.

So I think some key takeaways are:

1. Don’t give up
2. Talk to someone
3. Give God a chance to be who He is
4. You can only change for the better one step at a time
5. When you fall, GET BACK UP

We’ve got this. Love you!

xoxoxo,
DASH