|Whether we wish to admit it or not, we can all be pretty tough on ourselves. It might be because we're trying to land a big promotion at work, or maybe we're working hard to get recognition or understanding from someone who really matters to us.
This over-reliance on self-criticism may even stem from something that happened a long time ago that has now become a defense mechanism to hide wounds that have never fully healed.
Feelings of guilt, shame or even self-hatred can be very detrimental to a persons well-being, and it can be helpful to learn the art of self-compassion, in order to be gentler with ourselves, and to build positive ways of treating ourselves. What is self-compassion?
So what exactly is self-compassion? In essence, it means to have the same compassion for yourself as you would for others. This means you would first need to recognize the suffering you are experiencing.
Take a moment to consider your own suffering now.. are you stressed about work? worried about other peoples opinion of you? experiencing suffering from your past? what's really happening inside yourself to create this suffering? Self-compassion also involves feeling warmth and caring for your own well-being, just like you would care for others who are going through a difficulty. This involves recognizing your need to be cared for by yourself in this moment. Take a moment to consider how you could care for yourself right now.. could you take a break? or take a moment to consider all of your positive qualities and create more positive self-talk within yourself? how else could you support yourself? And finally, as Dr. Kristin Neff (a pioneering researcher, teacher and author of self-compassion) suggests, "perhaps most importantly, having compassion for yourself means that you honor and accept your humanness". With self-compassion, a person accepts the experience of suffering within the self as a normal part of being human. 
Self-Compassion Test
Want to see how much compassion you are already showing yourself? Click here for a self-guided test so you can find out if you might need some improvement. Surprised by the results? Read on for specific examples of building more compassion within yourself and your life!
There are many ways you could build practices of self-compassion into your own life, and let's now explore five different examples.
1. Have a Mindful Moment
It may seem like mindfulness has become somewhat of a buzz word recently.. and I'm completely okay with that! Practicing mindfulness can help us to slow down and create a safe environment for self-compassion to occur.
Mindful moment script: In order to practice your own mindful moment, you might want to choose a quiet location and somewhere that you feel safe. Find a comfortable position to sit in (or you can also do this walking or during most activities) and allow your body to naturally relax. Allow your eyes to close (or leave them open if you prefer) and allow yourself to settle into this relaxation. Take an even breath in.. and hold it for a moment.. before releasing. When thoughts come into your mind, bring your awareness to them, acknowledge these thoughts, perhaps notice any of the suffering you are currently experiencing, and then bring your awareness back to your breath by taking an even breath in.. holding it more a moment.. and releasing this breath. Repeat as necessary. 2. Keep a Self-Compassion Journal
Keeping a journal is a great way to express your thoughts and feelings, keep track of hopes and dreams, or even identify your fears, or personal sufferings. It can be tough to reflect or become aware of the aspects of your life where you may be experiencing suffering, but it can be helpful to identify and also work towards building compassion for yourself for what you're going through (no matter how big or small it might seem).
Some areas you may wish to focus on in your compassionate journal:
Try out these prompts to help guide you on the process of practicing self-compassion through journaling. 
3. Practice a Loving-Kindness Meditation
As author Sharon Salzberg describes, "loving-kindness meditation focuses on developing feelings of goodwill, kindness and warmth towards others" and "is the cultivation of a steady, unconditional sense of connection that touches all beings without exception, including ourselves".
Practicing loving-kindness in your own life can ensure that you're being compassionate to yourself, especially during the tough times. Loving-kindness Meditation: Click the button below to listen to a guided meditation and experience loving-kindness for yourself. 4. Focus on Positive Self-Talk
It's normal to have a voice inside the mind constantly chattering away (this is a normal part of the human condition, too - so no need to worry!). Sometimes our self-talk can be positive.. we might congratulate ourselves for a job well done, or encourage self-care routines when we're feeling drained. Other times, this inner voice might not be so encouraging, or even take on a negative tone (and for some people, negative self-talk can be constant).
Creating a positive dialogue within yourself can help to promote self-compassion and can also be a great coping strategy during tough times. Some ideas to promote positive self-talk are:
5. Practice Forgiveness
Forgiving others can be tough.. forgiving ourselves can be even more difficult. But being able to practice steps towards creating a space for forgiveness in our lives can help us to move on from suffering.
Since the practice of forgiveness can be pretty hard to do (especially if it involves a long history of suffering or unresolved emotions), be kind to yourself through this process, or ask for more support, like from people you trust in your life or a professional mental health support person, like a therapist. Try this out on your own by using the forgiveness exercise created by Christopher Germer, PHD. Self-Care Resources:How do you practice self-compassion in your every day life? Join the conversation in the comments below. Thanks for reading! References: self-compassion.org; mindfulselfcompassion.org; mindful.org; sharonsalzberg.com 
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13 Comments
2/12/2017 07:13:15 pm
I'm glad you enjoy it! There is definitely more great content to come! 2/14/2017 09:24:22 am
This is such a useful post and full of excellent ideas of how we can develop more self compassion. So many people struggle with this and end up ignoring how they feel, suppressing their emotions. A friend once acutely observed that, "eventually the body will present it's bill!". I hope it's OK for me to share this? 2/14/2017 12:58:17 pm
Fantastic comment, thank you for sharing! And it's so true that it can sometimes feel easier to ignore or shove difficult emotions to the side.. but eventually they come back and can be even more difficult to process by then. Take good care of yourself, Rob! 2/14/2017 10:07:25 pm
I'm a firm believer of positive self-talk and turning things around in my mind to something kinder and more understanding, instead of criticizing or being negative in some other way. That's the best way I have turned things around for myself as far as self-compassion goes. I also like blogging and journaling out my feelings to help with this practice. 2/15/2017 03:09:58 pm
I know that sometimes I am really hard on myself and I am learning to accept that I am not perfect. I just need to learn to be more human instead of perfect. 2/16/2017 01:16:41 pm
For sure! It can help to remember that nobody is perfect, and it's okay to be kind to ourselves especially if we're usually hard on ourselves. I hope some of the strategies mentioned in the post will be useful for you. Take good care!
Natasha Botkin
2/17/2017 06:17:56 am
Love the idea of a self compassion journal. Thanks! Xoxo 6/8/2017 01:58:33 pm
Self care and compassion is so very important yet also so very forgotten. I love that you are working to change that. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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