Mental Wellness
Compassion
Self-compassion
Compassion is about being kind and understanding to others when they're going through tough times.
It's important for our mental wellness because it creates strong bonds and support networks.
Compassion is enhanced by empathy and imagining yourself in the other person's shoes.
When we show compassion, we're there for each other, offering a helping hand or a listening ear.
This makes us feel valued and less alone, which is good for our mental health and overall well-being.
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.
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: Why has nobody told me this before? By Dr Julie Smith 2022 On Emotional Pain
13. How to support someone - Compasion Topic
Summary:
It is normal to feel overwhelmed or inadequate when supporting someone with mental health problems.
You want to fix it but don't know how.
Learning to support someone who is suffering can be stressful as you dont want to say the wrong thing.
But don't avoid them.
You don't have to fix everything to be a great support.
Look after yourself to prevent burnout. Get your own support and set clear boundaries.
Never underestimate the power of listening.
14. Understanding grief Go To: Authors Opinion Grief Topic
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.
Handouts: Home Improvement: Men in Relationship Jan 2024
Key Points: AI Summary
Self-Compassion
Self-compassion means being kind and understanding towards yourself when you face personal failings, difficulties, or notice things you don't like about yourself. Instead of harshly judging yourself, you recognize that everyone makes mistakes and has flaws.
Key Points
Kindness Over Judgment: Treat yourself gently when you mess up or face challenges. Understand that it's normal to be imperfect and that everyone experiences tough times.
Shared Humanity Over Isolation: Realize that you are not alone in your suffering. Everyone goes through hard times and personal struggles, so feeling inadequate is a common human experience.
Mindfulness Over Over-Identification: Observe your thoughts and feelings without judgment. Acknowledge your pain without letting it completely overwhelm you.
Practicing Self-Compassion:
When struggling, pause and acknowledge that things are tough.
Ask yourself how you can comfort and care for yourself in that moment.
Recognize that perfection is not expected or required.
Three Elements of Self-Compassion:
Self-Kindness vs. Self-Judgment: Be gentle with yourself instead of getting angry or frustrated when things go wrong.
Common Humanity vs. Isolation: Understand that everyone has hardships and you are not alone in your struggles.
Mindfulness vs. Over-Identification: Be aware of your thoughts and feelings without being consumed by them.
Observe without judgment and avoid letting negative emotions take over.
Disclaimer:
This website is for information only. It represents the unproven opinions / thoughts of various authors or collaborating partners.
This website and its content is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional medical or counselling advice.
PeaceBuilders Network and/ or associate organizations specifically disclaim any and all liability contained in or linked to this website.
A health-care professional should be consulted regarding your specific medical condition.
If you have a medical, mental health or other emergency, then reach out to the local emergency services helpline or hospital.
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Updated: November 2023
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