Let’s Treat Ourselves with Kindness

A pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis is difficult, to say the least. You need kindness, not just for others, but also for yourself. It helps to be compassionate with yourself during the stressful, scary, and difficult times. Talking to yourself with kindness is a powerful form of self-compassion.

Kind truths to tell yourself:

• You are valuable and precious, no matter what is happening.
• It’s normal to be angry, confused, sad, fearful, and all jumbled up inside. These feelings are a normal and necessary part of adjusting to what you are enduring.
• Allow yourself to grieve. This is God’s way of helping you work through the emotional turmoil you are feeling.
• You are of great worth and don’t deserve to suffer.
• No matter what is happening, you can be a good friend to yourself.
• Take time to care for yourself. This is just as important as other things you need to do.
• You are doing the best you can with the resources you have.
• Listen to your spirit and body. What do you need right now? What would a really good friend do for you right now? You can be that friend to yourself.
• What would the kindest person you know say to you right now? Say that to yourself.
• Give yourself time to have a good cry and take a nap. This may be just what you need.
• Even if you can’t feel him, God loves and values you deeply, and he is with you to support and care for you right now, right where you are.
• Breathe, rest, and be kind to yourself.

We don’t need to be perfect

It doesn’t matter if we’re having trouble adjusting to our diagnosis or struggling to persist. No matter what, you deserve kindness, compassion, grace, and understanding. No one gets through life without struggling or making mistakes. You are human, and you are learning as you go.

Every new challenge presents a learning curve, whether it is a PF diagnosis, adapting to using oxygen, or dealing with an exacerbation. Each challenge is new, and you shouldn’t expect yourself to know how to handle situations we’ve never been through before.

When we are hard on ourselves about the struggles we are going through, it makes things worse. We then have two problems: the original one, and being hard on ourselves for not knowing how to handle it.

Practice kindness

I encourage you to give yourself the gift of kindness. Let it warm your soul, soothe your discomfort, increase your joy, and spread to others naturally. I’m sending love and kindness to each of you today. We all need kindness, and we can all benefit by being a kind friend to ourselves.

I’d love to hear from you!

What did you notice as you read these self-compassionate messages? Did you relax? Feel comforted? Did it feel foreign to talk to yourself with kindness? Were you able to let a little bit of kindness soak in? I hope so.

Please leave a comment below and share with those who could benefit via email or on social media.

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Note: Pulmonary Fibrosis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Pulmonary Fibrosis News or its parent company, Bionews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to pulmonary fibrosis.