O: Open
self-empathy
Once we are conscious, we need to be open to accepting who we are and where we are. This requires a good old dose of self-honesty and self-discovery. By that, it means we need to establish what our individual priorities are and remove the ‘excuses’. Most people are able to be ‘CONSCIOUS’, but this part of the model starts to become trickier for people – the willingness to maintain momentum by being ‘OPEN’.
No place for excuses
Think (and talk to yourself) as your best friend would – even use your own name to instruct yourself
Tune into what you need – especially around sleep, food, drink etc
Be open to questioning what you believe, see and feel - and to changing your mind if needed
Provide yourself with empathy – to be in feeling with yourself and listen to your instincts
This area of the model focuses on building self-empathy, the best way we can support this is by working with those closest to us and ‘becoming a self-kindness buddy’. Learning from others and being held accountable. Share your wins, challenges and be open to their kindness - ask for help! One of the greatest things for our own health is “relational health”. Think about those around you and your connections.
Self-kindness doesn’t mean cutting off from others - quite the opposite but be selective and continue with your consciousness.
