How can you practice self-compassion?

In the face of adversity, the practice of self-compassion involves acknowledging and accepting your emotions without harsh judgment. It's about embracing the understanding that everyone encounters challenges, mistakes, and losses as part of the shared human experience. Instead of falling into the trap of self-blame, aim to validate and comfort yourself, recognising the validity of your feelings. This approach fosters a more constructive mindset, laying the groundwork for personal growth and resilience. A key solution lies in reframing your inner dialogue. By changing your narrative, you not only alleviate immediate suffering but also build a foundation for increased resilience and a more positive, compassionate relationship with yourself.

Practicing self-compassion is a vital component of maintaining emotional well-being and building resilience. Be kind to yourself. When you make mistakes or face challenges, treat yourself with the same warmth and empathy you'd offer a close friend. Acknowledge your feelings without judgment and remind yourself that it's okay to be imperfect; perfection is unattainable. Additionally, engage in self-care activities that promote self-nurturing, like meditation, deep breathing, or pursuing hobbies you enjoy. Remember, self-compassion isn't about self-indulgence but about caring for yourself in a way that allows you to grow and heal. It's an essential step toward a healthier, more compassionate relationship with oneself.

Self-compassion 101: Kindness First: Treat yourself like a buddy; mistakes happen. Positive Vibes Only: Ditch the self-critique for some self-cheerleading. Embrace Quirks: Imperfections are your uniqueness shining through. Take Breathers: Breaks aren't slacking; they're your energy boost. Realistic Goals: Aim high, keep it real. Rome wasn't rushed. Cheers to Wins: Every win, big or small, deserves a little celebration. Mindfulness Magic: Stay present; it's like a mental spa day. Learn & Move: Mistakes are lessons. Learn, adapt, and keep evolving! You are always special and unique just as you are! 🌟

Self-compassion arises effortlessly if you have a worldview grounded in an understanding of the world of complex, uncertain and rapidly evolving. Our lives and work environments are intricate systems. Recognising this, we understand that not everything is within our control. This understanding allows us to be kinder to ourselves when faced with challenges, acknowledging that setbacks are often a product of many interwoven factors. Also, embracing uncertainty can be liberating. It means accepting that not all outcomes can be predicted or perfect. This acceptance is the bedrock of self-compassion, encouraging us to be patient and forgiving with ourselves as we navigate uncharted territories.

Emotions are very powerful.Emotions empower us . Acknowledge the emotion and try to understand what is the message it is trying to convey and then act accordingly. Emotions help us to meet the situation, don't deny and ignore the emotion. Emotion is the biological reaction to the stimulus to meet the situation.

Often we have different standards for ourselves, compared to how we treat our best friends. Being self- critical mostly gives us brownie points from childhood and without realizing we continue to do that as a habit. A good starting point is to treat yourself as you will treat your best friend...with a smile, with kindness! Next time you are self critical, pause and role reverse with your best friend and treat accordingly...:-)

Being kind to YOU is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, and others! Be a shining example of how important it is to be kind to yourself, in good times and bad times. Extend to yourself the kindness and support you readily offer to others. Be your own ally in times of struggle, practising self-compassion with affirmations, a regular metaphorical hug, or a joyful activity like listening to happy upbeat music. Acknowledge your growth one small step at a time. This will help build resilience and the self-appreciation that is needed.

You are unique, there is no one just like you in the whole world. You are born for a specific purpose and you are capable of achieving that very purpose. The whole cosmos will conspire to accomplish that purpose. To err is human and one learns maximum from mistakes .

For me, dealing with that critical voice inside my head has been about learning to be kinder to myself. Whenever I start to beat myself up, I try to stop and think, "Would I talk like this to a friend?" This helps me switch up my thoughts to be more positive and supportive. It's not a magic fix, but treating myself like I would a good friend has really helped me handle that inner critic better. It's about reminding myself that I don't have to be perfect and that it's okay to be kind to myself.

Another way of being kind to yourself is paying attention to when to apply it. If you are driven and ambitious, you very likely set highly demanding goals for yourself. These goals push you forward to achieve excellence, and they help you to aim high. But instead of continuing in this mindset throughout achieving the goal, practice being kind to yourself as soon as you are underway. Your nature will not allow you to deliver work below your high standards, but it may push you to strive for unnecessary perfection. Kindness to yourself after your goals are set will allow you to reach those goals without burning yourself out or talking yourself down.

View your mistakes as stepping stones, not stumbles. A bump in the road, not the end of the road! Embrace them as chances to learn and grow and not as proof of shortcomings. Always reflect, adapt, appreciate, AND cultivate a mindset that transforms challenges into strengths, boosting your self-confidence along the way.

There is no such thing as failure unless you dont learn anything or if you give up. You can ask yourself "what worked" and "what didn't work" to extract lessons because there is always something to learn.

Someone asked me what would I tell my 18-year-old self...my answer...nothing at all. I think you have to live your mistakes to learn from them. That's what makes you truly resilient. I know it's easier said than done but remember, rarely does anyone get it right first time!

Learning from your mistakes is the compass that guides us through the labyrinth of life. When we stumble and fall, it's not a sign of failure but an opportunity for growth. Mistakes offer us invaluable lessons, like hidden treasures waiting to be unearthed. Each blunder carries a whisper of wisdom, a chance to refine our understanding, and a path to self-improvement. Embracing our mistakes with humility and an open heart, we can transform setbacks into stepping stones toward a brighter and wiser future. In the symphony of life, the melodies of success are often composed of the notes of our past mistakes, harmonizing the beautiful and ever-evolving song of our journey.

The path of growth winds not around, but through mistakes. They are the whetstone upon which wisdom takes shape. Each misstep contains a lesson, if you pause to interpret it. What did you overlook? How can you improve? Finding the gift in error allows evolution. Do not shy away from mistakes - embrace them. For they escorted you to uncharted territory, where ingenuity flourishes. Here, summoned by necessity, your capabilities expand. Without error, complacency creeps in. With it, arises renewed motivation to stretch beyond what you know. So do not dwell on imperfections. Value what they teach, but refuse to be defined by them. Your worth transcends any single stumble.

Connecting with others is like weaving the threads of our individual stories into a vibrant tapestry of shared human experiences. It's the art of building bridges that transcend the boundaries of our unique lives, creating bonds that offer solace in times of need and celebration in moments of joy. In these connections, we discover the symphony of diverse perspectives, the beauty of empathy, and the strength of unity. Just as a solitary star may twinkle in the night sky, it's in the constellation of connections that our lives shine their brightest, lighting up the world with the collective radiance of our shared humanity.

In isolation, we may feel our struggles are unique burdens to bear. Yet just beyond sight, countless others tread similar ground. Take comfort in the kinship of shared experience. Let it temper harsh self-judgment into compassion. You are not inadequate - merely human. Reach out across the void to be reminded you do not walk alone. In community, resilience is fortified. Each hand lifted strengthens the whole. Together, we traverse this uneven terrain - holding hope, sharing sorrow, celebrating growth. No matter the challenge, others have faced it and stand ready to guide you through. You need only seek their light, just as they may seek yours.

Sharing your negative feelings isn't always the right thing to do - you could be feeding your feelings of inadequacy. You'll get some short-term relief from having a vent but it's not helpful long-term. Trty connecting with people whom you admire to be resilient and have good coping mechanisms. That's who you should connect with. You'll realise that they have the same negative feelings but they do something positive about it to move forwards.

Mental wellbeing group sessions led by psychologists or art therapists that include cognitive behaviour therapy techniques create a great space for inspiration and reflection upon one's own path to growing self-compassion. It also provides opportunities with action-oriented practices to strengthen self-compassion.

Humans are social creatures and we NEED to connect. Depending on where you are on your self awareness and self development journey that could be a chat about the weather or it could be a deep and meaningful conversation. The more open you can be about yourself (while not feeling vulnerable) this will increase the level of connection you will have with others. Then when you feel safe it's easier to say 'I've messed up, or I don't know what to do or I need help' and feel supported and loved by those around you. Obviously I advocate for professional support too and know how therapy/Counselling can change your life

The easiest way to practice gratitude is to ask yourself "What's been good about my day?" However small it may be, there must be something that has been good about your day today. Maybe you had a nice cup of tea, or the sun was shining, or you saw a cute dog. Being grateful in this way gets you into the positive, rational aspect of your brain which then helps you deal with challenges.

If you feel there's not that much to be grateful for right now - life really has a habit of knocking us off track.... just know you already have everything you need inside you and that change is always possible. Small steps get you there just as well as big steps.

One of the best stories I read in Harv Eker's book is about Gratitude. He asks to imagine a 3-year-old kid who asks for an ice-cream being a parent you give him a single scoop of ice-cream. But as he cannot handle the scoop he throws it down. But now he demands a 3 scoop of ice cream would you buy him one? The answer is an obvious No. This is the same with the Universe only when we feel grateful for the things in life will we be given more opportunities.

I front-load my gratitude every morning, often before my feet touch the ground off the bed. Regardless of what the day may hold, I find that this habit centers me and puts me in a solid frame of mind to move forward.

Gratitude is rather a capacity than a skill. Imagine them as an already existing space around you that is there to be explored and experienced through awareness and practice. Two ways to practice gratitude at work: - Share regularly with your co-workers/co-founder/accountability partner what you feel grateful for. It can be as small as a kind word at a meeting, or a great conversation. - Acknowledge what you’ve already achieved, and make an inventory of what you have: job security, clients, funds, resources, or collect success stories. By practicing gratitude, you're cultivating a capacity for better sleep, improved health and greater resilience to deal with adversity.

One of the best things that you can do is to prioritize Self-care and the most prominent among all of the practices is to prioritize Sleep. Only when Sleep is prioritized you will see the maximum possibility to do anything to the fullest.

An empowering tool I have been using successfully for years, and facilitate for my clients is "inner child work". In a simple meditation or active visualisation, connect with the child, who is still alive and well within. The inner child aspect of ourselves is unapologetically honest about the emotions which are activated. Listen with your whole heart, and nurture this aspect of self. This practice can take as little as 5 minutes a day, and offer you a life-line to return to inner peace.

Prioritizing yourself first is like putting the oxygen mask on yourself first as they teach us during flights. I like how Tony Robbins says that most people have a highway to stress, and a dirt road to happiness. Many of us are trained to access our negative thoughts and feelings. Time for self-compassion is an opportunity to condition in easier access to the empowering emotions and thoughts.

Always surprised how few people know about Gendlin's Focusing process. Focusing is a practice of being with yourself and others in a self compassionate and self listening way in order to better understand your situations, motivations, blocks, desires, and more. Learning Focusing involves learning self compassion, self awareness, self acceptance, and self welcoming. In particular, Inner Relationship Focusing helps build one's relationship with oneself in a warm, curious, welcoming, and self-accepting way, teaching specific techniques and steps for doing this.

I also find self-love diaries helpful to connect with myself. I always tailor the exercises or questions given - it needs to feel authentic. Such workbooks/diaries remind to take some time for yourself and to establish practicing self-love and self-compassion as a part of a daily routine.

Over the years it seems people have become obsessed with putting feelings in top dog position. Everything is very emotionally driven. Which means we are often controlled by our emotions. That’s the biggest block to self compassion. We all feel. It’s part of being human. However you can feel without the need to emote. You can choose how you want to feel. And that’s not suggesting any feelings are worse or better. However, given we feel and it affects our nervous system and wellbeing. Making choices that serve our wellbeing is compassion in action. And that can mean choosing to feel angry without saying I am angry (Difference between feeling & emotions!) That’s true self compassion. When you step into self-mastery.

Recognize and acknowledge your suffering: The first step in self-compassion is to become aware of your pain, stress, or emotional discomfort. Acknowledge that it's okay to feel this way and that suffering is a part of the human experience. Practice mindfulness to stay present and fully experience your emotions without judgment. Mindfulness meditation can be particularly helpful in developing this skill.

Often those who struggle with self-compassion are dialed into servicing others. A critical mindset shift is recognizing that the quality of service we give to others is directly related to quality of care and wellbeing we have ourselves. If you are an instrument in service of others, your own care is one of the biggest ways to maximize your impact.

True self-compassion requires you to be honest about the impact of your mental states, thoughts, communication and behaviour on yourself and others. Otherwise you are simply glossing over the suffering, which will just lead to more. Recognise the gap between who you want to be and how you really are, and take radical responsibility for doing something about it. Don't let anyone tell you it's just about being nice and forgiving yourself. Unless you're changing and growing, you are stuck and you will keep experiencing the consequences of that. Compassion without wisdom, truth, courage, action, ethics, humility and integrity is not compassion. You can understand your behaviour but never make excuses for it. Apologise.

Some people come by self-compassion naturally, but not everyone does. Luckily, it is a learnable skill. My two life-changing ways are: Write a love letter to yourself: During reflective writing sessions, infuse self-love, helping you stay present, connect with yourself, and boost self-compassion. Adjust your self-talk: Change how you speak to yourself, especially in tough moments. Imagine how you'd comfort a good friend in a similar situation and extend the same kindness and encouragement to yourself. These practices, though requiring time and effort, can help you develop self-compassion by fostering a nurturing inner relationship with yourself, akin to how you treat a close friend.