Have you ever heard yourself say, "I'm such an idiot!" We've all been there. In hindsight, we can see how we could've made a better choice. In the moment, however, not so much.

For times like these, I'm reminded of a line from Brené Brown's book, Dare to Lead: "I know my life is better when I work from the assumption that everyone is doing the best they can.” It's not always easy to give others the benefit of the doubt, and even harder to extend ourselves that same credit. But what a gift to offer yourself and the world.

In yoga, we have the concept of self-compassion. We observe our experience without judgment. We offer ourselves comfort, kindness, understanding, and acceptance, especially when we're having a hard time. When we drop our judgments, we see more clearly, beyond our often conditioned reactions and expectations, past the stories we've created, right to the heart.

Developing more self-compassion doesn't have to take an eternity or be complicated. When I'm feeling overwhelmed, I'll often pause, place a hand on my heart and breathe. Then I'll say something like, "Honey, it's okay. You're safe. You've got this."

Sounds silly? When I give myself compassion instead of judging myself for being weak, too sensitive, or 'dumb,' I can feel my nervous system regulating. As stress lowers, my brain shifts from limbic reaction to pre-frontal cortex response. I can think straight and make better decisions. Apologize. Set a stronger boundary. Ask for help. This is where real change begins.

Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” Today, I hope you'll extend yourself the same opportunity to recover, learn, and try again. In fact, you can start right now.

Place a hand on your heart. Breathe. Repeat after me: "Hello, my beautiful, messy human. I see you. You've got this."

Because you really do.