Taking care of the self (Developing self-compassion)

• "You are your own worst critic"

  • People tend to criticize themselves.
  • People find it hard to to treat and speak to themselves in a kind or caring manner.
• Compasssion is an attitude that involves a certain set of feelings, thoughts, motives, desires, urges, and behaviors that can be directed to any living thing.

  This definition emphasizes:

  • Awareness - being attentive or sensitive to the fact some sort of "suffering" is occuring.
  • Normalizing - recognizing that we all experience pain at some point to varying degrees.
  • Kindness - acknowledging the pain with feelings of kindness, care, warmth, and concern.
  • Alleviation - Focusing our energy on ways to relieve the pain.
• Self - Compassion refers to understanding your vulnerabilities and practicing more self - kindness.
• Self - compassion involves directing feeling of kindness and care towards own self.
• Self - compassion refers to focusing your attention and energy on how you might improve your pain and move through the struggle you are facing.
• WHY IS IT HARD TO BE SELF - COMPASSIONATE?

  Because of

  • Early life experiences
  • The threat system
  • Lack of awareness
  • Negative beliefs about self - compassion
• WAYS TO BRING SELF - COMPASSION INTO LIFE

  • Comforst your body
  • Write a letter to yourself
  • Give yourself encouragement
  • Practice mindfulness
• Self Criticism is the opposite of self - compassion
• Self criticism is a thinking style that involves our internal self-talk being highly negative, disparaging, and berating
• Self criticism can activate the threat system
• self - criticism content: can be very cruel and tht tone very cold, harsh, and attacking.