Kindness = Consistency. Here's How

Thought For The Week

In a space that glorifies discipline, toughness, suffering and soreness, it’s easy to assume that being hard on oneself is the key to health and fitness results. But while the “no pain, no gain” mindset might push us in the short term, it usually leads to burnout, injury, and a cycle of guilt and self-criticism over time. Self-compassion, on the other hand, means responding to your body’s signals with kindness and acknowledging setbacks without shame. Self-compassion is linked to greater intrinsic motivation, more resilience, improved body image, and more consistent results; it helps create a mindset that supports progress, rather than one that punishes mistakes. It’s not about making excuses or lowering the bar—it’s about building a foundation where real, lasting change can occur.

Exercise Tip

Instead of exercising because you feel like you have to, or to make up for something you ate, or to meet an external expectation—self-compassion encourages you to move because it feels good. It means choosing forms of exercise that energise you, boost your mood, and support your health… It means listening to and honouring your body's needs on any given day… And it means letting go of the all-or-nothing, no pain-no-gain mindset. Taking a compassionate approach to exercise doesn’t just make it more enjoyable, it also makes it more sustainable. When movement becomes an act of self-care – rather than control – consistency starts to come naturally.

Try this: Before each workout, take 30 seconds to check in with how your body and mind are feeling. Ask: What would feel good today? Some days it’s lifting heavy, other days it’s talking a walk in nature, some days it’s getting your heart rate up and feeling hot and sweaty, some days it’s a gentle stretch. Remember, it’s not about making excuses or lowering the bar; it’s about being honest with yourself, but being kind at the same time.

Nutrition Tip

Self-compassion helps us break free from the guilt-laden, restrictive, and “Oh well, I’ll start again tomorrow” kind of thoughts that can lead to an all-or-nothing approach to food: Either we're on track with perfect choices, or we've failed and we give up entirely. The reality is food is neither inherently good nor bad—it’s fuel, nourishment, and a source of pleasure; Neither do our food choices make us an inherent success or failure. Letting go of all-or-nothing, dichotomous thinking, can help us cultivate a more peaceful, sustainable relationship with food that supports our long-term health and wellbeing.

Try this: Next time you find yourself labelling a particular food as “good” or “bad,” challenge yourself with the notion that it’s neither; it’s neutral. Then ask yourself instead, is it nourishing? Is it energising? Is it satisfying? This simple exercise shifts perspective and helps us recognise that individual food choices are very rarely the be all and end all.

Links & Resources

Book: In The Compassionate Mind, Paul Gilbert outlines the science behind self-compassion and takes us through basic mind training exercises to enhance our capacity for kindness.

Video: Kristin Neff delivers an engaging and informative TEDx talk on the science and health benefits of self-compassion.

Recipe: Packed with pistachio butter and avocado, my Gut-Loving Green Smoothie recipe’s got a decent amount of fat in it. Focus on that and you might see it as a “bad” food choice. Consider instead the fact it’s nourishing, filling, satisfying and tasty and you’re on the way to a more compassionate approach to your nutrition :)

Inspirational Quote

"We are all human beings, and we are all vulnerable. There is no 'perfect' self. So why not treat yourself with the same love and understanding that you would offer someone else?"

Paul Gilbert