"I was tired of listening to my harshest critic, the little voice in my head, so I became more KIND to myself." -Member of MyAutismTeam

You may judge yourself and others every day without realizing it. Like many members of MyAutismTeam have found, being a parent or caregiver for someone with autism has its frustrating moments. You may judge or blame yourself when you don't have time for self-care, when you forget something, or when you don't have all the answers. The problem is when you let these internal judgments shape belief in yourself.

Here are recent conversations from members on MyAutismTeam:

"I have hope again. This road is challenging and I know it always will be. It is manageable for us with support and love from others who understand."

"I want to celebrate how far we've come and just let my child bask in that light for a while..."

"I am overwhelmed... I need to remind myself to take it DAY by DAY, MINUTE by HOUR. I can't look for the FINISH LINE, I just need to look down and focus on each BIG STEP."

Experts in mindfulness and self-care recommend pausing a moment when you find you're judging yourself. Be aware of those 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 critical of yourself? What are you doing to show yourself kindness in those moments? Share in the comments below or directly on MyAutismTeam.