These Keys to Success have been foundational to my progress and recovery and have helped many students and clients. Many things can hinder or help you through this work. These are a few I've found to be most valuable. They serve as a rudder or guide through difficulty and in life in general.
One of the most important things to remember is to be kind to yourself. This doesn't mean letting yourself off the hook or not being accountable. You can be truthful with yourself in a kind and loving way. Remembering your particular issues of struggle are not an indication of a flaw or some failure. Most often they surface, or come to be, as a result of life experiences; they are a normal reaction to abnormal situations. While big T traumas have a huge and more obvious impact on us, little 't' traumas can have an impact which is often more difficult to pinpoint as the "source" or origin of our response. Talk with your therapist to tease through understanding the events or experiences which have led to what you are experiencing in the present. Approach yourself with open, kind, and non-judgemental curiosity.
2. Keep it Simple - Just NOTICE & Go Slow
3. Be gentle - No Judgement! Judgement only hinders you and others
6. Increase Connection: With Self & Others
Approaching yourself with curiosity is the BEST antidote to self criticism or judgement. Practicing curiosity is softer, nicer and more compassionate. Curiosity is connected to the sense of wonder and awe. These are states of mind which are beneficial on every level. They also help you shift your Polyvagal System into a calm, neutral, homeostatic state.
Practicing daily, or at least often, is required to feel the desired benefits. Making time for meditation is often the most difficult part. When you find ways to incorporate/weave regular practice into your life you will notice a difference. Further, continued practice is required to maintain the benefits. There is no plateau where it is no longer beneficial.