◼ We’re often hardest on ourselves, but nobody’s perfect—and self compassion means realizing this is the norm. It’s also really important for mental health: Self-compassion is associated with better psychological well-being, says a bounty of research by Kristin Neff, Ph.D. Being compassionate toward oneself is a form of mindfulness and helps stop the stress response that’s triggered by being self-critical or unkind to oneself, allowing stress reducing brain chemicals to flow.
Self-compassion comes more naturally to some people than to others, but everyone can get better at it with a little inner work. These prompts, designed by Neff, can help you understand the way you view yourself, then pivot toward becoming more self compassionate.
Exercise 1:WRITE YOURSELF A LOVE LETTER
▸What’s one thing about yourself you often criticize, feel shame…
