Self Compassion

Originally posted on January 8, 2020

Part of our compassion journey is learning to treat ourselves with compassion and realizing that this doesn’t just mean treating ourselves to a spa day or a day huddled in a blanket fort with our coffee and dogs (which are both awesome ideas!). Sometimes the most compassionate things we can do for ourselves is to take control over the sources of anxiety in our life. As much as we’d like to, we cannot live in a bubble.

God calls us to shine the holy light and reveal the divine love to the world around us so we have to come out of our blanket forts and do what is ours to do with the boldness and confidence we find through Jesus.

I know a few folks who have left social media because it continually upsets them. Recently I’ve heard a few folks talk about how the political phone calls have started and it causes them great anxiety. Now, I’m not belittling or discounting these feelings – I know all too well from personal experience they are true. But I think instead of focusing on what we can’t control – such as what other people post or who dials our phone number – that we need to take control of these tools and use them for our own benefit. After all isn’t that why we have them in the first place?

So, where are some suggestions.
1. Get a call blocker app. They don’t stop all unwanted calls, but they help.
When your phone rings and you see it is a number you don’t know – say out loud “I don’t want to answer” and then press whatever you press on your phone to decline the call. There is great power in this simple act! And, it puts you in control.
2. Get to know and use the “do not disturb” feature on your phone and devices. Set your notifications to how they work best for you. Learn how you can control your devices rather than just letting them control you.
3. On social media, delete, unfollow, snooze, or block those folks who post things you don’t want to see. These are your apps and you are in control of who you are linked to on them. If you want to use it to keep in touch with far away family and friends, then narrow your friend list to just these people.
4. Get to know all of the security settings in these apps and use them. Again, this isn’t the be-all end-all solution but it helps and it gives you control.
5. Scroll past the things you don’t want to see and actually click on and respond to the things you like. This helps train the algorithms to put the things you do like on your feed.
6. Before you post or share something, ask yourself “is this going to help other people feel loved?” and if your answer is “no” don’t post it.

We do not have to be passive receivers of media! We have power and control over what we see and listen to – if we choose to exercise it. Be bold. Be confident. Be compassionate. Be kind.

May your day and week be full of the light and love of God and may the peace of God be always with you, my dear ones.