003 what is self-compassion
In my sessions, I often emphasize the importance of self-compassion, but I've noticed that the term can sometimes be misunderstood. Recently, I took a continuing education course on mindful self-compassion, and I wanted to share some of the key insights I gathered.
One important takeaway was learning about the Latin root of the word "compassion," which means "to suffer with." This is significant because compassion truly shines in our moments of difficulty, not just when we're happy!
Self-compassion is all about treating yourself with the same kindness, care, and understanding that you would offer to a close friend or loved one. It means recognizing your own suffering, failures, or imperfections without judgment and responding with empathy and support instead of criticism. Think of it as being gentle and understanding with yourself when you're struggling, just as you would be with a friend!
Self-compassion has three main components:
Self-kindness: Being caring and understanding toward yourself.
Common humanity: Recognizing that everyone makes mistakes and is imperfect.
Mindfulness: Being aware of the present moment without dwelling on things you dislike about yourself.
Often, we forget to practice self-compassion when things are going well, but it’s in acknowledging our own struggles that we connect with the shared human experience. The truth is, we all face suffering, failure, and imperfection. When we ignore these aspects of our humanity, we can end up judging ourselves harshly. Interestingly, we’re usually much more critical of ourselves than we are of others, readily extending kindness, love, and support to those around us. If we can hold space for others' pain, why is it so hard to do the same for ourselves?
To cultivate more self-compassion in our lives, we need to step back from our self-centered view and embrace our shared humanity.
Here are three simple ways to practice self-compassion:
Mindfully acknowledge when you're experiencing pain.
Embrace yourself with kindness and care in response.
Remember that imperfection is part of the shared human experience.
It's important to remember that self-compassion is a practice—one that needs regular nurturing to grow stronger!
