Self-compassion
Self-compassion is an approach to self-care that emphasizes kindness, understanding, and respect toward oneself, particularly in times of difficulty or failure. It encourages individuals to treat themselves with the same warmth and support they would offer a friend, recognizing that making mistakes is a universal aspect of the human experience. Central to self-compassion is the practice of mindfulness, which allows individuals to be aware of their thoughts and feelings without judgment. This perspective can be particularly beneficial for those who have faced abuse or neglect, as they may struggle with self-worth and need to learn how to nurture themselves effectively.
Self-compassion differs from self-esteem and self-confidence; while self-esteem relates to one's perceived value, self-compassion allows individuals to separate their identity from their mistakes, fostering a healthier self-view. Research indicates that those who cultivate self-compassion tend to exhibit a growth mindset, authenticity, and even leadership qualities, as they are more attuned to both their strengths and weaknesses. Developing self-compassion can be achieved through mindfulness practices, positive self-talk, and physical self-care, empowering individuals to approach life's challenges with resilience and understanding.
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Subject Terms
Self-compassion
Self-compassion is a way of treating oneself that involves caring for oneself and having respect for oneself. People often compare self-compassion to treating oneself in the same way one would treat a friend. Self-compassion is often most important when people make mistakes. Self-compassion involves understanding that making a bad decision does not automatically make someone a bad person.
People who practice self-compassion practice kindness to themselves, practice mindfulness, and understand that all people make mistakes and feel pain. Self-compassion can help people deal with inevitable problems, challenges, and failures of life because people with self-compassion can look for solutions to problems rather than blame themselves and have a defeatist attitude.


Overview
Self-compassion is not a single action or process. Instead, similar to self-love, it is a consistent way of thinking about and dealing within oneself. Self-compassion can be especially important and difficult for individuals who grew up in abusive or neglectful homes. People who grew up in abusive situations received signals from their parents or loved ones that they were inadequate or unlovable. Those people have already been conditioned to have poor opinions of themselves, so they are more likely to need to learn to love and care for themselves. These people have to learn to be gentle, supportive, and understanding with themselves.
Self-compassion is different from self-esteem and self-confidence. Self-esteem is one’s belief about one’s self-worth and value as a person. Self-confidence is one’s belief in oneself and one’s abilities. Both self-esteem and self-confidence are affected by self-compassion. When people can separate bad choices from themselves, they are more likely to believe in their own self-worth and believe in themselves.
Psychologists have found a correlation between having high levels of self-compassion and having other positive traits. For example, psychologists believe that people with high levels of self-compassion are more likely to have a growth mindset. When people fail or face problems, they tend to blame others or beat up themselves. People with high amounts of self-compassion are generally good at identifying their own flaws or mistakes that led to the problem, but they are also good at understanding that the flaws and mistakes do not define them. These people understand their own flaws, and they are open to fixing them and improving themselves in the future. Another positive trait common in people with self-compassion is authenticity, or having a good sense of one’s true self. People who are self-compassionate are honest about their flaws. Therefore, they can be more honest with themselves about the jobs and hobbies that are best for them. They feel more comfortable pursuing the things they excel at and care about because they know what they are good at doing. Another common trait people with self-compassion have is leadership. People who are compassionate toward themselves are also likely to be compassionate toward others. They can also help other people identify their strengths and weaknesses. These traits make people with self-compassion good leaders.
People can develop self-compassion in various ways. One way to build self-compassion is to practice mindfulness, which people can do by meditating. People can also develop self-compassion by focusing on positive self-talk. People can even write themselves a letter or talk out loud describing events without blaming themselves or other people. Finally, people can develop their self-compassion by ensuring they are taking care of themselves physically.
Bibliography
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“How to Cultivate More Self-Compassion.” Psychology Today, 3 Mar. 2017, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/nurturing-self-compassion/201703/how-cultivate-more-self-compassion. Accessed 4 Feb. 2021.
Kaiser, Emily. “How to Strengthen Your Child’s Self-Confidence with Self-Compassion.” Better Kids, 10 June 2020, betterkids.education/blog/how-to-strengthen-your-childs-self-confidence-with-self-compassion. Accessed 4 Feb. 2021.
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Neff, Kristin and Christopher Germer. “The Transformative Effects of Mindful Self-Compassion.” Mindful, 29 Jan. 2019, www.mindful.org/the-transformative-effects-of-mindful-self-compassion/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2021.
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