20 One Sentence Reminders About What Self-Compassion Really Is

1. Practicing self-compassion means knowing when to give yourself a break.

2. It means that you don’t glorify hustle or demonize rest.

3. It means that you’re honest with yourself about when you gave it your best and when you didn’t.

4. Practicing self-compassion means that you set your boundaries and honor them.

5. It means that you don’t shrink yourself to accommodate someone else’s ego, to make yourself fit into someone else’s idea of who you are and what you should be.

6. It means that you know that “no” is a complete sentence.

7. Practicing self-compassion means that you recognize that it’s okay to ask for help.

8. It means that you realize that asking for help doesn’t mean that you’re a failure, or that you’re somehow shirking your responsibilities, or that you’re any less of an adult.

9. It means that you recognize your own limitations — and some might say that such a realization is the mark of a responsible human.

10. Practicing self-compassion means that you come to terms with the fact that you are not an octopus, for you can only hold two things at once.

11. You cannot be two places at once, either.

12. You’re also not a machine — you’re a human who experiences a multitude of feelings, someone who needs rest and nourishment and love and care.

13. Practicing self-compassion means that you pay attention to the words that you choose to whisper to yourself, and that when given the opportunity, you choose ones that are rooted in love.

14. It means that you’re honest with yourself, too — that you are transparent with when you made a mistake, or when you need to change, or when you should be celebrating whatever victory you’re experiencing.

15. It means that you understand that more often than not, self-compassion is quite the unglamorous act — that it means that you should probably be drinking more water than champagne.

16. Practicing self-compassion means that you let yourself grieve just as easily as you allow yourself to experience joy.

17. It means that you embrace the range of emotions that come on this road of life.

18. It means that you don’t let your feelings dictate your every action, either — that sometimes a feeling is just a feeling, and you do not have to live in the space of despair, or anger, or sadness for the rest of your days.

19. It means that sometimes, the most gracious thing to do for yourself is to let something go.

20. Practicing self-compassion means that you see your shadows and your light, and you love yourself, still.