How do you feel when you hear female colleagues, friends and acquaintances putting themselves down? We’re willing to guess that you probably feel a little bit sad about it. After all, she’s a fellow comrade in this game we call life, and to hear that she’s not feeling great about herself is saddening. 

But what about the way you feel about yourself? Do you regularly put yourself down and tell friends and loved ones all the things you don’t like, rather than celebrating the bits you do? Are these friends and loved ones feeling sad about the way you speak about yourself? 

You might look at another woman who thinks that her bottom is too flat, her chest is too small or her midriff too big and think wow, I wish I had her figure! You’d probably go as far as to tell her that, and tell her that she’s beautiful and amazing. But equally, there could be another woman looking longingly at you, thinking the same thing. 

International Woman’s Day is approaching on 8th March, so this year we’re urging you to be as kind to yourself as you are to all the other females in your life. Because my darling, you are so totally worthy of self-love! 

Being kind to yourself can look very different to different people, but essentially, it’s allowing yourself to feel the way you want to feel and it’s about embracing and celebrating all that you are. Here’s a few different ways that you can practice being self-kind:

• Nourish yourself with healthy, filling meals that leave you feeling good rather than overfull and bloated. The short term satisfaction from eating junk food quickly turns into guilt as you feel lethargic and stuffed. Instead, this Chicken Enchilado Bowl is rich in lean protein and low in fat, and is super warm and filling without the sluggish feeling afterwards. Similarly, this vegan friendly Stuffed Butternut Squash is super tasty and nourishing. 
• That said, we can still have treats! A treat at the end of a hard but virtuous day is the ultimate in self-kindness, so try our ‘Cheats’ Banana Ice Cream and you won’t feel like you’ve missed out. 
• Write yourself a love letter, and detail all that you like about yourself. Be that your curves, sense of humour, quick wit, prowess at pub quizzes or ability to make people laugh (whether you mean to or not), write it all down. And then read that letter every time you feel down or you’ve been unkind to yourself. 
• Indulge in some self-care. This could be shutting yourself away for a bubble bath with a good book and a glass of wine, organising a FaceTime date with your bestie or taking a day off to take part in some crafting. Whatever it is, do it, and enjoy it. 

The OYG Community group is a phenomenal group of women (and some men!) who are amazingly supportive and kind to one another. We get blown away by the kindness shown in our group and we just know you’ll love it there. So if you haven’t popped in or you haven’t for a while, then please make sure you do. (To request access, you’ll need to have a Facebook account and use the password DAVINA2021.)