The relationship you have with yourself is the most important relationship you’ll ever have. It becomes the blueprint for the way you interact with and show up in all your other relationships — whether it’s romantic, platonic and professional (in the workplace). Practicing self-compassion involves treating yourself with kindness, understanding, and acceptance, especially during difficult times. Here are 6 practical ways you can become more self-compassionate towards yourself.

Building a healthy relationship with yourself is an ongoing process. By figuring out what makes you feel nourished, prioritising taking care of your needs, stepping out of your comfort zone to learn a new skill, creating healthy boundaries, identifying your priorities and practicing self-compassion — you can develop a stronger, more secure relationship with yourself. Be patient and kind with yourself as you work to cultivate a stronger, more loving relationship with the most important person you’ll ever do life with. Yourself.

Building a strong support network outside of your romantic relationship, or one other person that you tend to rely on for lots of things can be tricky. Especially as life gets busy, and we step into new, and unknown seasons and chapters.

By investing in close friendships, family members, mentors, support groups, and healthcare professionals — you’ll be able to give and receive strong support, encouragement and perspective. Building a support network is an incredible form of self-care just as much as it is a form of service too. It is 100% worth the time and investment.

Making friends and building a support network as an adult can be daunting and uncomfortable at times. But it’s really important that you find and invest in a group of different people who can offer emotional, social, and practical support during difficult times. It can take a little bit of work, a little bit of trial and error — but it will be worth the risk and discomfort.

When you have a strong circle of friends, family members, colleagues, mentors, support groups, and healthcare professionals like a counsellor or psychologist — you can trust that you’ll be able to navigate life’s challenges as you feel supported, and are able to give the same support to people in a similar life stage with you.

Building a healthy relationship with yourself can also improve your mental health. If you regularly spend alone time to reflect and reconnect, you’ll develop a strong sense of self-awareness that can give you insight and perspective when it comes to making decisions and navigating challenges.

Having this groundedness will build your sense of self-worth, self-respect and self-efficacy as you know that you’re equipped and capable to handle whatever that comes your way (even if it means reaching out for help and being resourceful at times). If you love yourself, you will help yourself — and reach out to others that can help you too.

If you have a grounded relationship with yourself, you’re probably taking care of yourself regularly — and this will have a positive impact in your relationships, which has a huge impact on our overall quality of life. With a strong, connected relationship to self — you are more likely to be resilient in the face of stress and adversity, and have a more positive outlook on life.