The warmer whether is here and it’s what we look forward to all winter. Yet for me the change in temperature comes with a drastic change in energy level. I can feel the heaviness in my legs, arms, feet, and eyes. Lifting one foot in front of the other feels impossible at times. The heaviness consumes my mind if am not careful. It is easy to feel the helplessness creep in. 

We are quick to offer grace and forgiveness to friends or others when they have “less productive” days or challenging times and yet we don’t offer ourselves the same courtesy.

Let’s change that! Here are a few tips toward self forgiveness:

1. Acknowledge.

What areas in your life do you need to offer yourself forgiveness? And what areas do you need to offer acceptance? There is a difference between these two. For example, I should not feel guilt over the low energy that comes with summer. This is out of my control and accepting this part of me helps to let go of some of the pressure. And I should forgive myself for the negative self-talk that might come with it. The way I talk to myself and treat my body is within my control. When I choose to speak poorly about myself, this is not healthy or helpful. 

2.Forgive.

Once you have identified those ineffective and harmful actions you are making to your body. Spend some time thinking about what is helpful and what is harmful then offer forgiveness to yourself for those harmful things.

3. Change.

Make realistic changes to your thoughts and actions. Give yourself permission to start small. For me, I may not have energy to do all the things that I can in the cooler months but I can be kind to myself and develop a more realistic plan. It might mean that I don’t get all the active work-outs or projects done, but I can choose to continue to eat foods that make my body feel good.

In what areas will you offer yourself forgiveness this week? How might you use these steps to process?

Let’s be kind to our minds and bodies and allow ourselves space to make mistakes, to process those mistakes, and to make plans to do better.