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I had an epiphany today. I decided that I am going to start treating myself like a dog because I actually treat myself worse than a dog. Let me explain.

Let's pretend your dog is wounded but let's say you know that the wound will heal and isn't harmful. The dog doesn't know this, though, and is very distressed and afraid. You would speak very softly and quietly to the dog telling it that everything is going to be okay and that the dog is safe (cognitive soothing). You might check the animal all over for other wounds not to heal them but just to check in a very loving, soft way (somatic tracking). You would move slowly and speak softly. You wouldn't rush. You would take your time. You would breath with the dog in a quiet manner. You would pay total attention to the dog and not be distracted by anything (active meditation). You would offer the dog some food from your hand and let it lick water from your fingers. You wouldn't force it to eat what it didn't want and you would let the dog take a lot of time. You would praise it for any little bit it could get down and not worry about what it was eating. Then, when things were more settled, you might smile at the dog (Julia Robert's smile) and remind it about how fun it is to chase squirrels (embrace joy). If the dog snarls at you (more pain), you wouldn't get angry but you would understand that it needs more time, more soothing, more gentle attention.

Hope this might be helpful. I also think if I can keep working with these tools, as a reward I will buy myself a little stuffed Winnie the Pooh. Take care.