Since it is Mental Health week, I felt it important to share with everyone the correlation between self-compassion and mental health; including a strategy to try.
“Unlike self-criticism, which asks if you’re good enough, self-compassion asks what’s good for you? It taps into your inner desire to be healthy and happy. If you care about yourself, you’ll do what you need to do in order to learn and grow. Valuing ourselves in a deep way makes us want to make choices that lead to well-being.”
It’s simple - only you can take care of you. Self-compassion is all about taking care of you, which lends itself to good mental health.
The strategy - be gentle with ourselves.Self-compassion is defined as extending compassion to one's self in instances of perceived inadequacy, failure, or general suffering. We need to learn to be gentle with ourselves. Our performance is not enhanced when we are self-critical. Practicing self-compassion can reduce stress and assist in the positive movement forward.
No one is perfect.
Instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings, self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings – after all, who ever said you were supposed to be perfect?
When we practice self-compassion, we establish what Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. describes as “a secure base to deal with challenges.” That base helps us flourish, leading more fulfilled lives.