Life is hard and it’s made even harder with a lack of self compassion.
One thing I’ve learnt from reading psychology books is that the unconscious mind has subtle coping mechanisms for dealing with stress or pain.
So instead of lambasting oneself for a lack of discipline it could be worth asking oneself – am I in pain right now?
For example, you’re going through a stressful period right now, and while it’s unfortunate, you’ve decided the healthiest way to deal with it is through meditation, exercise, and eating right.
Then it comes to the end of a particularly bad day and in your exhaustion you quickly order a takeaway and slump in front of the TV for the night.
At this point you are both physically and emotionally drained and you want the stressful period to end already.
What would make it ten times worse is choosing to inflict more pain on yourself by berating yourself for not having a salad for dinner and meditating.
Instead a little bit of compassion could go a long way.
Thomas Duggan 