Exercise 1: Learning to See Yourself with Kinder Eyes

For many of us—especially if we’ve been through trauma, criticism, or emotional neglect—learning to speak kindly to ourselves can feel unnatural at first. But it’s one of the most powerful things we can do to rebuild trust with our nervous system and strengthen our sense of self-worth.

When you offer yourself words of praise, even if they feel awkward at first, your subconscious begins to listen. Your body responds. Over time, your inner dialogue starts to shift—and you begin to feel more confident, grounded, and safe being fully yourself.

Your Invitation:

Take a few moments to reflect on who you are—beyond the mistakes, beyond what others have said.

Think about your strengths, your efforts, your qualities that often go unseen or unspoken.

Then, write ten statements of praise to yourself. You can begin each with:

• “I’m proud of the way I…”

  
  

• “I really love that I…”

  
  

• “It means something that I…”

  
  

• “I notice I’m good at…”

  
  

• “It’s true that I…”

  
  

They don’t have to be big or perfect. They just have to be true.

Example:

“I’m proud of the way I keep showing up, even when it’s hard.”

“I have a kind heart.”

“I’m learning how to speak to myself with more care.”

Your List of Self-Praise:

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Gentle Reminder: 

You don’t have to earn your worth. It’s already inside you.Sometimes it just takes a little loving attention to bring it back into focus.

Closing Reflection

Pause for a moment and notice how you feel.

You just gave your inner child something they may have waited years—maybe even decades—to hear. And whether it felt easy or hard, natural or unfamiliar, your willingness to try matters. It tells your nervous system: It’s safe to feel good about myself. It’s safe to be kind to myself. It’s safe to let go of old beliefs that no longer serve me.

Let these words you wrote be like little anchors—reminders you can come back to anytime you need a boost or a reset. You might even choose one to say out loud each morning this week. Speak it with your hand on your heart. Let it land.

You don’t have to be perfect at this. You just have to keep practicing. You are worthy of your own praise. You are becoming someone who sees their own value more clearly every day.