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

You may judge yourself and others every day without realizing it. Like many members of MyEndometriosisTeam living with endometriosis, you may judge yourself when you look in the mirror, when you're in too much pain to go out, 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 MyEndometriosisTeam:

"Today is the first day I've had NOTHING on the schedule in almost a month. Whew! Self-care is so important when you deal with a chronic illness like endometriosis. What are you doing today to care for yourself?"

"It's been a week since I joined this group and I must say, reading your stories has made me strong. Thank you, ladies!"

"I got this last night not only for myself but in honor of all of you ladies. Each one of us is stronger than we know to survive what we survive every day with this disease. We fight like women and push through! So on your bad days remember how strong you truly are."

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 MyEndometriosisTeam.