Why you should treat yourself like a 5-year old

You know when a child gets upset, and one of the first things the parents might rightfully say is, excuse him he hasn’t had his nap today. Or, she needs a snack. Or, it’s been a long day.

I propose that we, us adults, should treat ourselves like that sometimes.

As Tony Robbins likes to say, “you don’t need to change your life, you just need a cold shower and a handful of fucking macadamia nuts.”

Anyone who isn’t Tony Robbins might say, It’s going to be okay, have you eaten recently, have you been active?

At what age do we stop treating ourselves according to our most basic needs?

At some point along the way, we forget that sometimes we’re just tired, or hungry. And that, sometimes, the things that seem so big are actually just symptoms of a very solvable problem.

So it’s not a bad idea to treat yourself like a five-year old sometimes, and ask:

• How have I been sleeping lately?

• Do you feel like I’m eating enough balanced meals per week?

• When’s the last time I got moving, or took a long walk?

• Am I being kind to myself?

Start there before making any major adjustments.