The practice of self-compassion can help us avoid the trappings of self-limiting or destructive thought processes, like the critical inner voice, that often diminish our motivation or initiative. Neff’s findings show that self-compassion can reduce anxiety and actually help us make real changes in our lives.
Neff’s study found “Using a correlational design, the study found that self-compassion had a significant positive association with self-reported measures of happiness, optimism, positive affect, wisdom, personal initiative, curiosity and exploration, agreeableness, extroversion, and conscientiousness. It also had a significant negative association with negative affect and neuroticism. Self-compassion predicted significant variance in positive psychological health beyond that attributable to personality”
Self compassion requires us to:
- Precise and sensitive awareness of suffering (Sensitivity);
- Allowing ourselves to feel moved (Sympathy). An ability to understand what is going on from different perspectives (Empathy);
- An ability to tolerate distress (Distress Tolerance); and,
- A non-judgmental attitude regarding what is going on
See: benefits of self-compassion
And I quite like this quote as well from that same article “Compassion does not just mean ‘being kind’ – Compassion may involve coming into contact with suffering so that you can do whatever is necessary to help reduce or stop it.”benefits of self-compassion
We do come in contact with suffering and also the emotions in relation to suffering. We can feel compassion for the suffering we have. For the emotions we have. In a non-judgmental way- as in not adding to those emotions with ruminations of shame, anger, anxiety, blame, guilt and so forth.
And we are still moved to reduce our pain and suffering in various ways. Our self-care. Our routines. Our medications. Rest. Whatever we do that helps us reduce our suffering.
And I acknowledge that isn’t always easy. Emotions that come with suffering often lead to thoughts and beliefs- and sometimes spiraling thoughts and ruminations. It can be hard to just acknowledge the emotion and accept that is just the way I feel because of the pain in the moment, and it is a normal way to feel. To let myself feel that. Accept it. Let it pass. Without attaching meaning to it. Pain isn’t an easy thing every day to cope with. Some days self-compassion is easier than other days.
Benefits to self-compassion
- Developing resiliency- recover better from setbacks
- Increased productivity and failure is often persevered as an opportunity and not something that leads to despair and self-criticism
- Decrease in stress
- Reduced isolation
- Increased mindfulness
- Reduced over-identification
- Less depressed and anxious
- More prone to positive self-care rather than self-destructive behaviours when stressed
That fist one interests me. Certainly when I have a setback I struggle with self-compassion the most and perhaps I struggle with adjusting to the health setback as well. There is always an adjustment period. As I find myself in currently. Adapting to lower functionality is a difficult thing and I can see how self-compassion is necessary in difficult chronic illness times. Necessary all the times.
Certainly, it has helped me in the past and continues to help me when I remind myself that I need to be mindful and non-judgmental of my health journey.
reprint from brainlessblogger.net
Resources:
Self compassion in chronic illness
The Benefits of Self-compassion
Chronically Nikki 