Taking care of yourself is a path to professional growth — Yekaterina Andreyeva

---

Working on yourself does not mean constant self-criticism and strict discipline. If we keep endlessly blaming ourselves, we turn into a cruel overseer inside our own mind. TV presenter and journalist Yekaterina Andreyeva spoke about this at the National Centre RUSSIA during a master-meeting for participants in the "Young Journalists School" project.

"It is important to build your self-improvement process in a way that leads to success, not burnout. The key to this is self-compassion, the ability to treat yourself in a difficult moment with love and understanding — the way the closest person would treat you. They would hug you and say, 'Do not be afraid, I am with you.' You should say this to yourself: 'I am with you, I am not destroying you, I want to save you. I will think about what needs to be done to make things easier,'" said Yekaterina Andreyeva.

According to Yekaterina Andreyeva, working on yourself consists of three steps. The first is mindfulness. It is necessary to recognise stress and not run away from this feeling or suppress it. The second step, according to Yekaterina Andreyeva, is recognising common humanity. It is important to understand that a person is not alone and that many others have been in a similar situation. The third step is kindness towards yourself. The TV presenter noted that instead of criticism, people should say words of support to themselves. She advised mentally giving yourself a hug and asking the questions: "What do I need right now to feel better? What should I do?" Different options can help you find a way out: a walk, a cup of tea, sleep, a call to a friend, or a trip to the cinema or a museum.

"Why does this lead to success? Only when the brain feels calm and safe can it make the right decisions and guide you towards that very reference point that will lift you up rather than bring you down. If you are cornered by fear or self-criticism, you will not notice the opportunity you need to seize at the right moment. Treat yourself with care, and you will have the strength to keep going," concluded Yekaterina Andreyeva.

The "Young Journalists School" is a joint educational project of the National Centre RUSSIA and the Movement of the First, implemented with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. The programme helps teenagers learn about leading Russian media outlets, develop practical skills in working with text, photography and video, learn to think critically and look at the profession without rose-tinted glasses. The participants have new encounters, master-meetings with experts and practical steps towards their own professional stories ahead — stories that will one day appear on screen, in print or in the digital space.