Three ways to practice self-compassion
Let’s be honest. We’re often hardest on ourselves. In a moment where we’d offer an encouraging comment to a friend or loved one, we would beat ourselves up about the same thing.
The more we focus on body image and self-judgement about how we think we look in the mirror, the faster we can spiral down into a state of low self-esteem and a lack of confidence. Both of these areas can have detrimental effects to a person’s health and it’s often where eating disorders and other mental health challenges stem from.
Self-compassion is about finding ways to realize that you are good enough just the way you are, and that you absolutely deserve good things in life. And while some people are naturally more confident in their own skin, for others, we have to work at being a bit more compassionate to ourselves.
Not only does developing compassion help you and those around you feel happier, but the spin off effects are fantastic. Research suggests there are actually physical benefits to practicing compassion. It counteracts the aging process and reduces stress.
With all of that in mind, we’ve put together our three favourite ways to practice self-compassion in the hopes that you can find one (or all!) method that helps boost your self-confidence and puts a smile on your face.
Change your internal conversation. If you actually take the time to listen to your self-talk, is it positive or negative? Are you encouraging or always using negative language? Self-compassion is about framing your internal conversation in a way that is supportive and empathetic. The more road blocks you can break down in your mind, the more compassion and energy you’ll find for supporting yourself.
Accept imperfections. You are not perfect. None of us are. And we all make mistakes. Yes, I know you’ve heard that before, but it’s true. It’s not about making a mistake, it’s about how you handle the mistake and the situation moving forward. So take a deep breath, own up to your error, and look at a way you can move forward.
Live in the moment. We’ve talked about mindfulness before and it’s a key component of self-compassion. As we take conscious breaths and focus on the space we’re in right here, right now, we can cut ourselves a little slack and room to just be exactly who we are in that exact moment.
As we get set to face new challenges and variables over the month ahead, let’s all try and make self-compassion a top priority.
If you’re looking for more information on this topic, visit the SOS Resource Centre under “Mental Health.”