Self-compassion involves treating oneself with kindness and understanding, especially during challenging times. Ask yourself, “how would I talk to a friend in need of support?” Research indicates that replacing criticism with self-compassion and understanding can increase resilience, strength, and happiness.
There are 3 elements to self-compassion:
- Mindfulness: allows you to recognize and acknowledge your suffering without judgement
- Common Humanity: reminds you of your connections with others to help alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation
- Self-kindness: the active expression of caring toward the self
Practice Self-compassion Guide
- Think of a situation in your life that is causing you stress or difficulty.
- Call that situation to mind and see if you feel emotional discomfort or stress in your body.
- Acknowledge to yourself, “This is a moment of suffering.” This is a form of mindfulness, where you are noticing your emotions in the moment, but without judgement. It might be helpful to say to yourself, “this is stress” or “this is pain.”
- Say to yourself, “I’m not alone.” Through this statement, you recognize your common humanity with others such that everyone struggles and it is normal to go through difficult times.
- Gently put your hands over your chest and express self-kindness. Some examples include, “May I accept myself as I am,” “May I forgive myself,” “May I be strong,” or another phrase that speaks to your particular struggle.
References
Seppala, E. (2017, June 28). The scientific benefits of self-compassion. http://ccare.stanford.edu/uncategorized/the-scientific-benefits-of-self-compassion-infographic/
Greater Good in Action, UC Berkley. (n.d.). Self-compassion break. https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/self_compassion_break