This blog discusses the research benefits of self compassion, the three elements that make up self compassion, and ways to apply it in your life. (For those in the Transcending Inner Barriers Group, this will be a review of what we discussed in week 1)
First off, what is self compassion? According to wikipedia, self compassion is defined as "Extending compassion to one's self in instances of perceived inadequacy, failure, or general suffering." In essence, being kind and understanding to yourself when the chips are down! Most people have an inherent ability to be compassionate towards others. Self compassion is simply turning that compassion inward, or changing the recipient. If you find self compassion difficult, try first extending it to another person in your life. Then, when you feel it within you, shift your attention toward yourself. As with all things neuroplasticity related, the more you do it the easier and stronger it will become.
There is a ton of research on self compassion. It shows us that self compassion is positively associated with:
Life satisfaction
Happiness & Optimism
Curiosity
Learning Goals
Social Connectedness
Taking Personal Responsibility
Emotional Resilience
Motivation
Comfortable Relationship with our Body
Healthy Behaviours
Self compassion is negatively associated with (or causes decreases in):
Self Criticism
Anxiety
Depression
Rumination
Perfectionism
Thought Suppression
Eating Disorder Attitudes
Chronic Pain
Overall self compassion is a powerful predictor of psychological wellbeing. When we have self compassion, we are more confident, have less fear of failure and therefore are more likely to try new things and be willing to grow and learn from our mistakes. We are also more likely to stick to health related plans that we create for ourselves. Self compassion creates a greater window of tolerance for life's ups and downs, as well as a more stable sense of self worth than what we get from self esteem (which is contingent on our performance).
Self compassion taps into our mammalian caregiving system, releasing oxytocin, opiates and decreasing cortisol levels. It is a powerful agent for change, far moreso than self criticism. Being harsh with ourselves leads to fear of failure & pressure to perform, which decreases our motivation and desire to do new things.
According to Kristin Neff, there are three elements that make up self compassion:
Self Kindness. Treating ourselves how we would treat a good friend, showing ourselves kindness, acceptance, and understanding.
Common Humanity. There is a recognition that failures & struggles are part of the human experience. We are all vulnerable. We all make mistakes. In fact that is how we learn & ultimately succeed.
Mindfulness. A receptive, curious, non-judgmental state of mind. We observe our thoughts and feelings, and find a balance of neither denying nor exaggerating those feelings.
In self compassion we pause to acknowledge the difficulties or struggles rather than going immediately into "fix it" mode. By taking that pause, we create some separation from our difficulties. We step into the observer of them rather than being identified with the part of us that is struggling. It is from this place of observer, accepting our experience as it is in the moment, that gives us the space to choose what we do next.
There are several ways we can enhance our self compassion:
"In the moment" practices - Such as Kristin Neff's self compassion break. Several variations can be found here. We can also activate self compassion on our own by placing our hand on our heart and inviting in the feeling, or feeling it first for others then turning it toward ourselves.
Intention - Hold the intention to be more compassionate toward ourselves and remember that intention in moments of challenge.
Self compassion meditations - There are many options for self compassion meditations. Great places to find them include Insight Timer, YouTube, and Kristin Neff's website.
We can see from the research that adopting self compassion can really enhance our wellbeing & emotional resilience. It is a good addition to any brain retraining or nervous system regulation practice. Are wondering how this fits with redirecting away from the negative or what is not working? What you would do is, the moment you notice a difficultly/struggle, first take a moment to step into self compassion, acknowledge the struggle, accept your experience (its already happening, resistance isn't going to make it go away), and be kind to yourself. Then from there you can move into redirecting or whatever intervention you choose that supports you in the moment.
Best wishes!
Caelum's Insights (A Functional Neurology Perspective): Sense of Smell
Interestingly enough, men generally do not have as keen a sense of smell as women.
Women have been found to possess 50% more cells in their olfactory bulb, the part of
the brain responsible for processing scents, which gives them a heightened sense of
smell compared to men. This could partially explain why women tend to more commonly experience heightened smell sensitivities than men.
The differences between genders become even more apparent with age. Age-related olfactory dysfunction (in terms of loss of smell) tends to be more severe in men than in women. In fact,
about 10% of people over the age of 65 experience some form of smell decrease,
ranging from a mild loss of smell to a complete inability to detect odors. As individuals
age beyond 80, the prevalence of smell deterioration rises dramatically, affecting
between 62% and 80% of that population. Despite this common occurrence, the specific
mechanisms that lead to olfactory dysfunction with advancing age remain unclear,
leaving much to be understood about why the sense of smell deteriorates so
significantly over time.
To see the list of upcoming events & opportunities, click here.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Candy Widdifield, M.Ed. candywiddifield.com candy.thriving@gmail.com
Comments