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

You may judge yourself and others every day without realizing it. Like many members of MyFoodAllergyTeam living with food allergies, you may judge yourself when you look in the mirror, ask for substitutions at a restaurant, or forget to avoid certain dishes. The problem is when you let these internal judgments shape belief in yourself.

Here are recent conversations from members on MyFoodAllergyTeam:

"With each flare, I am always back fighting and back on my feet stronger and tougher but I feel sad to say that I truly need to accept that these flares will continue forever."

"I am getting stronger about telling people. Most people don't understand and for years I put myself in danger in an effort to be sociable and to please. I no longer do that; I put my health and well being above all else, it has taken me years to get to this point."

"I've decided I'm going to stop thinking of these allergies as a handicap and be my ultimate self again. And just be strong and never feel upset over these health issues because that leads to being ungrateful about 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 MyFoodAllergyTeam.