The Self-kindness Toolkit: Part 2: Reflection

The Self-kindness Toolkit: Expert tips to tackle challenging times 

The British Red Cross has provided a toolkit full of useful, practical tips that you can use to help build your resilience and confidence and to take control when faced with challenging situations. 

6 Rs of resilience 

The 6 Rs of resilience can prepare you and your family so that you are better able to bounce back when faced with a difficult situation.

1. Responsibility: Taking responsibility for your own mental health, wellbeing and resilience.
2. Reflection: Reflecting on how you are, what is happening and how you are feeling about things.
3. Relaxation: Relaxing in a way that suits you, such as gardening, reading a book and mindfulness practice. 
4. Relationships: Noticing the things we can take responsibility for can help to build confidence in ourselves and help us to feel more in control. 
5. Refuelling: Eating a healthy diet, and being conscious of alcohol intake. 
6. Recreation: Taking regular exercise, and having fun. 

Over a series of articles, you will find tips on each of the 6 Rs. This article focuses on Reflection. 

Coping with Change

1. Consider a recent change in your life.
2. Write down all the positives and challenging emotions you had about it. 
3. Consider why you felt like that.
4. Think of all the people and resources you have that can help you cope with changes. This could include friends, family, and people or services in your community. 
5. How will they help you to cope well with more changes?
6. What might you do differently in the future? 

Reflection skills 

Reflecting on our successes helps us to cope better. Here is a method to help you do that. 

1. Write down what you have achieved today. 
2. Now write down what you want to achieve tomorrow and next week.
3. Check your notes in the morning to remind you what you want to achieve for the day. 
4. Reflect again at the end of the week. How have your plans changed? 

How could this method help you to achieve your aims? 

You could use these reflections to help you focus on the skills you would like to learn or develop. It could also help you to identify groups you might like to join. 

Download all these tips and more in The Self-kindness Toolkit.