There are countless ways to improve your mood. I'll be writing about them in upcoming features. Today, I'm starting with what seems simplest, yet so often eludes us in our daily lives: self-compassion. Because this is where the well-being of body and spirit begins. Stop for a moment and imagine someone you truly care about is sitting next to you. Someone you love with all your heart. You look at them and see they are tired, down, lacking energy. Perhaps you cover them with a warm blanket. Perhaps you offer them a cup of tea or ask if they've eaten something nice. Or perhaps you simply sit beside them in silence, because you know that sometimes, a tender presence is the most important thing? Can you look after yourself in this way? With the same gentleness with which you care for those you love?
Depression and long-term sadness often arise where someone has had to be strong for too long. For years they endured, persevered, put themselves aside. Until one day the body and soul said: enough. But before depression appears, unaddressed sadness lingers for a long time in the heart and body. We don't know how to name it. We can't comfort it.
We are surprisingly harsh with ourselves, sometimes even violent. It sounds harsh, but if you listen carefully to your…
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