What is my mindset these days? With the many changes occurring in my work and personal life, it has been an exciting time to be alive, although a challenge to consistently have a positive frame of mind.
There is just so much to do!
Learning new technology, exploring the world of AI, discovering new techniques to work with students and publishing a book based upon my experiences and another on instilling values in the classroom has been a fun sprint. The sprint has become exhausting and I must learn to take this all in and learn to treat it as a marathon.
With steep learning curves and ongoing reflection throughout the process, I have learned that it takes time to deeply understand and create quality and I’m proud of myself for the time and dedication I have set into motion.
As part of this “learning to be creative” phase of my life’s journey, I’ve learned about self-compassion as I have worked on a growth mindset.
Just what is self-compassion?
Self-compassion is inwardly treating yourself as you would treat another person in need of compassion while realizing that struggle is normal and part of being human. There are three components to self-compassion: being kind and understanding to yourself instead of being self-critical; seeing one’s frailty as part of the human condition and not isolating yourself from others; and being mindfully aware of the situation rather than experiencing avoidance or obsession with an issue. We are our own worst critics and tend to overthink situations that have happened in our lives. We tend to self-judge, self-critique, and self-denigrate ourselves as a habit. This is a habit that needs to be broken and reformed into a healthy ritual.
