Self Compassion
“You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You, yourself, as much as anyone in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
Buddha
How would you describe your relationships with yourself? What I mean by that question is - are you your Harshest Critic or a Compassionate Coach? For example, when you make a mistake (we all make mistakes) – how do you process this? Do you beat yourself up with a barrage of self-depreciating criticism or do you take this as an opportunity to learn.
Let’s explore a simple example. Yesterday morning got off to a bad start, let’s assume (given that it was a chilly morning) you pressed snooze one too many times - missed your bus and got to work late. Harshest Critic would no doubt be having a field day “I can’t believe it, so lazy, such an idiot”.
Alternatively Compassionate Coach “This is a stressful start to the day, maybe I need to set alarm earlier given that winter is coming when I do find it harder to get up”.
A quick strategy to check yourself is to ask “Would I say this to a friend?”, “What advice would I give to a friend in this situation?”.
For more comprehensive advice and strategies to build your self compassion, explore following links:
