Mental Wellness
Compassion
Self-compassion
Compassion means being kind and caring when someone else is having a hard time.
It’s like trying to imagine what it feels like to be in their shoes and understanding what they’re going through.
When we show compassion, we help each other by offering support, like listening, helping out, or just being there for someone.
Being compassionate makes people feel cared for and less lonely. It also makes us feel good inside because we’re doing something positive for others.
Compassion helps build strong friendships and connections, which are super important for feeling happy and healthy.
So, whenever someone needs help, showing compassion is like giving them a big hug for their heart—it makes everything a little better for everyone!
130
Extract from: Owning our Struggles by Minaa B. 2023
Key Points: AI Summary
Tools Exercise: Audio Journaling
Recording Prompts:
Grab your phone and press the Record button.
Answer these prompts out loud:
“I hold the power to ...”
“I am forgiving myself for ...”
Listen to your responses and replay them as affirmations to remind yourself of your progress.
Extended Exercise:
Take five to ten minutes to record yourself talking freely about an event or interaction that upset you.
Get all your thoughts and feelings out.
Listen to the recording to assess your thoughts, as if you were listening to a friend.
Look for any discrepancies or irrational thoughts.
Reflection Questions:
Do you have more clarity on the situation and yourself?
What did you learn about your way of thinking after playing the audio back?
This exercise helps you process your thoughts and emotions, gain clarity, and identify areas where your thinking may be irrational or distorted.
A friendly, simple tool to guide people of all ages and backgrounds through meditations for mindfulness and compassion.
Self-Compassion means being kind to yourself when things don’t go well.
It’s about understanding that everyone makes mistakes and has bad days, so you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself.
Key Points:
Kindness Over Judgment: When you make a mistake or feel bad, be nice to yourself. It’s okay to not be perfect, everyone has struggles.
Shared Humanity Over Isolation: You’re not the only one who feels bad sometimes. Everyone faces tough times, so you’re not alone.
Mindfulness Over Over-Identification: Pay attention to how you feel without letting it control you. Recognize your pain but don’t let it overwhelm you.
Practicing Self-Compassion: When things are tough, take a moment to care for yourself. Remember, you don’t have to be perfect, just try your best.
130
Extract from: Owning our Struggles by Minaa B. 2023
Key Points: AI Summary
Forgiveness and Compassion
Self-Forgiveness:
Importance: Essential for healing and moving forward.
Does Not Mean: Forgetting, undoing past actions, or avoiding consequences.
Means: Seeing your actions clearly without shame or denial.
Key Practices for Self-Forgiveness:
Acknowledge Mistakes: Recognize the errors you've made.
Own Consequences: Accept the results of your actions.
Commit to Change: Work on changing your behavior for yourself and others.
Own Your Guilt: Treat guilt as something separate from your character.
Apologize to Yourself: For not knowing better and for knowing better but not doing better.
Self-Compassion:
Foundation of Self-Forgiveness: Helps you accept and learn from your mistakes.
Practices:
Be kind to yourself during tough times.
Accept that you are not perfect.
Show patience and understanding towards your flaws.
Use positive self-talk.
Be non-judgmental and less critical of yourself.
Nurture yourself and provide what you’ve been missing.
By practicing self-compassion and self-forgiveness, you allow yourself to learn from mistakes, heal, and grow into a better version of yourself.
Book: Happy Life Happy Mind - Dr Rangan Chatterjee 2022
Understanding that every one of us is a complex result of all our previous interactions and experiences helps us develop a deep sense of empathy and compassion.
If you were the other person, with their childhood , their parents and their exact same life experiences, you would almost certainly be acting in exactly the same way.
Our ego doesn't want to believe this. We tell ourselves that, if we were them , we’d behave differently. Because we’re better than them and more knowledgeable and kinder.
But this is just our ego talking. How could this be true? If they could act differently, they would.
**Understanding this has brought a new level of calm and perspective to my life. **
It makes it easier to be compassionate to every person I meet.
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A health-care professional should be consulted regarding your specific medical condition.
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Updated: November 2023
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