Are we being gentle or making excuses?
What are we looking at this week?
This week we are sharing the pyramid of physical and emotional freedom.
Jon Macaskill, a retired Navy SEAL Commander, shared an image of the pyramid in a thoughtful LinkedIn post. His message is that building a good habit starts with ‘the body & mind connection first… system downregulation and mindfulness… then BUILD on that!’
I Am Here values empowering and real messages like this. Visit I Am Here for lots of tips for building up mental health and wellbeing.
Look at post (2-minute read)
Let us know your experience on the I Am Here social platforms, including Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.
What are we reading this week?
Have you ever cried at work? Maybe you saw a fellow Team Member crying? How did it make you feel?
This short article from Harvard Business Review, ‘So, You Cried at Work’, refreshing and direct, sits us down to talk about it. Did you know that 45 percent of professionals have cried at work? It can even be good in some cases.
The article firmly reassures us that we don’t have to feel ashamed or embarrassed. It gives helpful pointers such as reframing the impact, giving yourself space, being courageous, and following up. We can choose to be kind to ourselves. We deserve self-compassion.
It’s ok not to feel ok; and it’s absolutely ok to ask for help.
I Am Here has a course dedicated to Self-Compassion. Find it on the I Am Here Arena.
Read the article (8-minute read)
What are your thoughts? We invite you to comment and share your reactions on our Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.
Who are we sharing this week?
We know mental health and wellbeing starts within ourselves. We know we need to be kinder to ourselves. How do we actually do that?
Have you heard about the Gentle Mindset?
Here’s a little story, based on this cartoon shared by Everyday People Cartoons. Over a recent holiday season, I told myself I was going to exercise each day and drastically reduce or remove my refined sugar intake.
The first day, prepared to do sit-ups, I lay down on a fluffy carpet. I put my arms behind my head and closed my eyes. Enjoying the warm sun streaming through the window, I pulled the blanket off the couch and took a nap instead! After not doing my sit-ups, I got up and had a cookie with tea. I even added sugar.
I could berate myself for it, but that’s not in my best interests. So, where is the balanced sweet spot?
The Gentle Mindset is the balanced sweet spot. It is a way of thinking that’s supported by neuroscience.
We have thought patterns that repeat in our brains. These repeated thoughts prompt repeated actions. This is important to understand, especially when we beat ourselves up over our unwanted habits or behaviors.
We can flip our inner script by controlling or changing our thought patterns. This can create new, positive, habitual actions, leading to a more joyful and sustainable life.
A Gentle Mindset is comprised of elements:
- Self-compassion
- The magic middle: getting out of an all-or-nothing mindset and finding the middle ground
- Gratitude: getting out of comparison and finding gratitude
By embracing these components daily, the way we think about ourselves and the world changes. Then, so do our actions.
We can use the Gentle Mindset to discern when we are using a Gentle Mindset and when we are making excuses.
It’s a journey. Take that first step towards a Gentle Mindset today by visiting the I Am Here Arena. Don’t have access to the Arena yet? You can join today here.
Look at post (1-minute read)
