Self Compassion

Can you offer the same compassion to yourself that you would offer to a loved one?

Kristin Neff, PhD, a professor in human development at the University of Texas at Austin, established self-compassion as a field of study over 10 years ago. I highly recommend her book “Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself,” website with useful resources and videos, and TED talk.

Here’s how Neff outlines the process of being self-compassionate:

Step 1: notice the suffering or discomfort (what am I feeling?)

Step 2: be kind and caring to yourself in response to that feeling (explore the feeling with curiosity rather than judgement and ask “what do I need to address this feeling?”)

Given all the changes in routine and uncertainty we are all facing right now, this is as good a time as any to practice self-compassion.

• If you are a parent, can you offer yourself compassion if you’re meals are just okay, your kids aren’t complying with their distance learning, or your home is a mess?

• 🧡If you’ve been eating for comfort, can you remind yourself that it’s okay to find comfort in food

• If you are working from home, but feel distracted and unproductive, can you allow yourself to see that this makes sense given the circumstance?

Sending you all a virtual hug and I hope you’ll give yourself one too💞