It’s human nature, for women in particular, to be harder on ourselves than others.  With  family and friends, we support their choices and are non-judgmental of their mistakes.  We accept their imperfections because we know their worth, in other words we provide unconditional love.

In contrast, we hold ourselves to higher standards and our inner voice can tear us down if we don’t manage its volume.

Self care isn’t just about getting through a crisis – it’s an ongoing awareness of our inner critic who makes us feel we’re not meeting every self-imposed expectation.  Call it changing the lens or flipping the script and try to imagine that same internal voice consistently offering up positive affirmations and encouragement instead.