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

You may judge yourself and others every day without realizing it. Like many members of MyCOPDTeam living with COPD, you may judge yourself when you look in the mirror, when you run out of breath walking up stairs, 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 MyCOPDTeam:

"Looking back over the past year, we certainly have all had our moments and we have pursued through them. We have slipped a bit on our journey, but got up and carried on."

"With each breath, I greet the day knowing while it is a struggle I can do this."

"I tell myself I can handle this. Slow down and concentrate on breathing properly. If I panic I don't have a chance of gaining controls, I am trying to learn not to rush around all the time."

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 they're 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 MyCOPDTeam.