"I was tired of hearing my harshest critic, the little voice in my head, so I became more kind to myself." -Member of MyEpilepsyTeam

You may judge yourself and others every day without realizing it. Like many members of MyEpilepsyTeam living with epilepsy, you may judge yourself when you look in the mirror, when you have a seizure, or when you falter with an everyday task. The problem is when you let these internal judgments shape belief in yourself.

Here are recent conversations from members on MyEpilepsyTeam:

"Instead of thinking of everything that's wrong and 'why me?' etc. I look at what I've got going for me. I look at the fact that I've survived a lot so I must be strong...When I feel sadness creeping in I make a conscious decision right then and there that I am not going to go down that darkened path."

"Don't let others judge you for what they don't understand. Nobody is you and they're foolish to think otherwise. Follow your dreams and your heart always."

"It amazes me how everyone opens out when in a group and shares their stressful problems with others... We're here to support everyone, so be kind to others, have compassion and stay positive in life!"

Experts in mindfulness and self-care recommend pausing a moment when you find you're judging yourself. Be aware of these judgments. Ask yourself where this is coming from. Use the moment to be gentle and compassionate with yourself.

Do you recall a time when you were particularly harsh or critical of yourself? What are you doing to show yourself more kindness in those moments? Share that moment in the comments below or directly on MyEpilepsyTeam.