why self-compassion boosts our mental wellbeing

self-compassion has three important elements:

why is self-compassion good for your mental wellbeing?

It’s common to feel stressed and be hard on ourselves, especially in a culture that's so focused on performance and achieving targets. Research shows that people who have higher levels of self-compassion are often more resilient than those who aren't as compassionate. They have less of a physical response to stressful situations and spend less time dwelling on these situations after they've happened.

This is partly because self-compassion involves actively recognising your strengths and achievements, which boosts self-confidence and our belief in our ability to cope with difficult situations.

But self-compassion also impacts our biology. A self-critical, or unkind stance, towards yourself when you're going through testing times, activates your body's natural stress response, sometimes called the "fight or flight" response.

A recent study by the Universities of Exeter and Oxford* found that exercising self-compassion helps calm your heart rate and shut down this threat response. Study participants demonstrated a state of relaxation and security. They also reported feeling a stronger connection to other people.

If you exercise self-compassion, you're also more likely to:

• take better care of your physical and mental health by adopting healthy behaviours such as exercise, eating better, and healthy sleeping patterns
• cope better with adversities
• take more initiative and responsibility
• be less fearful of making mistakes and rejection
• be more emotionally intelligent, happy, and optimistic

Self-compassion also encourages personal and professional development, which further improves our confidence and self-esteem. This helps us remember our strengths and skill set objectively without fear of criticism and judgement. We're then able to identify areas for improvement and make changes for the better.

five ways to show yourself more compassion

Here are a few ways you can show yourself more kindness and understanding:

• practice mindfulness - this will teach you how to notice and observe your thoughts without judging them. Mindfulness encourages you to be curious and self-aware, understanding that your thoughts and assumptions are just that. The're not facts.
• reward yourself - it's important to celebrate your successes and achievements. Keep a list of your personal skills and strengths. You can review these in moments of self-doubt.
• take a break - time away from your day-to-day routine, and a change of scenery, can help you keep things in perspective. Getting outdoors in the fresh air also boosts our mental health.
• strengthen your connections - kindness is contagious! By showing love and understanding to the people who are important to you, you're more likely to show yourself the same compassion.
• do things you enjoy - try to find a better work-life balance that allows you to spend time on your passions, hobbies, and interests to boost your mood.