Self-Compassion is an Unexpected and Important Factor in Building Resilience
Now is always the time to build resilience and practice mindfulness. But how? It’s not always as easy as a long bath or treating yourself to a delicious food you haven’t had in a while.
The future is unpredictable. For many, world-wide and sweeping changes such as the emergence of the COVID, increases in climate-related disasters, and threats upon our civil rights are uncertain menaces that have emerged within the last few years. Our world is connected to these changes and uncertainties more than ever; media headlines have a vested interest in provoking emotional reactions to drive engagement versus proposing solutions or providing reasonable courses of action (for additional information, see our September 2024 newsletter).
Now is always the time to build resilience and practice mindfulness. But how? It’s not always as easy as a long bath or treating yourself to a delicious food you haven’t had in a while.
Science tells us that one of the ways we can build resilience as well as improve upon our mental health is through an understudied avenue: the practice of self-compassion. ‘Self-compassion’ here is defined as taking the time to practice mindfulness and forgiveness towards oneself, with an emphasis on reflecting internally. It has been shown that increasing self-compassion can not only improve one’s own mental health, but improve the compassion we have for others who may have poorer mental health (García-Campayo et al., 2024). Here are some ways that you can foster self-compassion and grow your resilience.
Try The Use Of ‘Releasing’ Statements
If you’re not practiced in trying for exclusively positive affirmations (“I’m always kind” or “I’m the best”), try to release what may not be in your control when you find yourself in the middle of a negative thought pattern. Saying to yourself, “It’s alright that I misspoke”, rather than “I’m so bad at explaining!” can go a long way to shifting your mindset in the long-term.
Take Time For Yourself, As If You’re Meeting With A Friend
In a world that can be profit and productivity-driven, rest can truly be resistance. Taking time to allow yourself a self-care break can go a long way to providing a space for oneself, but it can also go a long way to understanding your own pattern of thinking. Rather than isolating for long periods, take the time you would meet with a friend or work colleague and allow yourself the room to connect internally.
Gain Perspective
Especially in challenging times, having help putting your feelings in context can be crucial to self-compassion. It may sound counter-intuitive to the tip above, but realizing that you are not alone in your feelings or that you are supported by strong, rational thinking can help bolster self-compassion and confidence (Kosterlitz et al., 2015; Stephenson et al., 2018).
Even better and luckily for us, we can also apply self-compassion in this way while online. An older study found that, during the challenges of the pandemic, online students were best supported by meeting with friends on the Internet (Asghar et al., 2021). Similarly to how scientists may peer-review, having objective facts, rationale, and being given a voice by others can be key.
So, Where Do We Go From Here? What Else Can I Do?
Here at Mindbridge, we recognize the emerging challenges that come with being human rights defenders and, honestly, being human beings. We acknowledge, and encourage, our readers to be mindful of their mental health, but we also advocate for building resilience in a time where a strong, clear mind may be needed for future resistance to misinformation and intimidation. The practice of self-compassion may help. For additional tips, please check out the original post on Positive Psychology.