"I was tired of hearing my harshest critic, the little voice in my head, so I became more kind to myself." -Member of MyChronicPainTeam

You may judge yourself and others every day without realizing it. Like many members of MyChronicPainTeam living with persistent pain, you may judge yourself when you look in the mirror, when you can't move as nimbly as before, or falter with an everyday task. The problem is when you let these internal judgments shape belief in yourself.

Here are recent conversations from members on MyChronicPainTeam:

"My pain may be invisible to your eyes because as you can clearly SEE, I have no missing limbs nor am I CURRENTLY wheelchair bound.
But just because you can't SEE it, doesn't diminish the fact that it is there, silently punishing me each and every day, all year round..."

"In spite of my pain, I have had an awesome day!! I had a wonderful visit with my counselor today and am making good progress in getting control of my life back as far as my mental health goes, so I get to pat myself on the back for that."

"Y'all have a fire in your belly to survive and hopes that tomorrow will be a better day. Keep strong Warriors, sharpen those swords and beat this pain stuff down to the size of an ant!!"

Experts in mindfulness and self-care recommend pausing a moment when you find you're judging yourself. Be aware of these judgments. Ask yourself where they're coming from. Use the moment to be gentle and compassionate with yourself.

Do you recall a time when you were particularly harsh or critical of yourself? What are you doing to show yourself more kindness in those moments? Share that moment in the comments below or directly on MyChronicPainTeam.