Throughout life, many of us have to deal with stress and anxiety. The lucky few are able to better manage such emotions and use these emotions to direct themselves towards success. Yet, many of us may spend a significant part of our lives trying to find ways to manage our stress. Research has shown that the easiest way to kill stress and tension is practicing self-compassion.
Well, we all know what it means to be compassionate to others. But what does it mean by being compassionate to ourselves?
Self-compassion can be dissected into three components.
1. Self-kindness: Our ability to be kind to ourselves and avoid being overly critical.
2. Common humanity: The understanding that all of us make mistakes and be more forgiving towards ourselves.
3. Mindfulness: Living in the present moment and keeping our thoughts in balance and control rather than overidentifying with these thoughts.
Research has found that people who are more compassionate towards themselves are more optimistic, feel more alive and experience less stress. The best way for us to develop our sense of self-compassion is to write. Think about a negative experience and write about it with the mentality of being compassionate towards ourselves. After all, making mistakes is what makes us human. Mistakes are what shape us into who we are today - unique individuals that have the capacity to grow and mature.
Stress is a dual-edged sword and the easiest way to deal with stress is to practice self-compassion. It is easier to be compassionate towards others, but why not let us bestow ourselves some of this compassion and live a happier life right now.
Category(s):Stress Management
Source material from Psyblog
