I hope 2015 has been a strong year for you. Therapy with Heart launched this blog series at the beginning of the year to be a resource for you; to keep you updated on upcoming events, services, and quality information.
One area I’m personally embracing is the concept of self-compassion. Most of us are terribly critical of ourselves, and our internal self-talk is filled with judgment (“should-ing” all over ourselves), beating ourselves up for things we did or said, and even punishing and shaming ourselves throughout the day. Painful!
Here are 3 steps to help reduce this personal suffering and bring a new level of kindness into our world, starting with ourselves:
- Mindfulness: Being aware in the present moment to be able to recognize when you are being critical of yourself in a way that is neutral and non-blaming. If you can catch it (without it turning into self judgment) then you can choose to shift the critical thought into a softer, kinder one.
- Common humanity: Dr. Lisa Galper once told me a great mantra I use, “I am human, no more, no less”. We don’t need to hold ourselves to a higher standard than others (perfectionism) or tell ourselves we aren’t as good as others (shame).
- Self-kindness: Kristen Neff, a researcher on the concept of self-compassion, refers to self-kindness as “the tendency to be caring and understanding with ourselves rather than being critical or judgmental”. A key to this step is reminding ourselves to be gentler and more understanding of our flaws, as we would a friend or child.
My personal goal is to continue to increase awareness within myself and I hope you will join me in the self-compassion journey! Contact us to learn more and start practicing self-compassion now. It’s never too late.
This Post Written By:
Rachel Thomas, Owner, LMFT – Therapy With Heart
8737 E. Via De Commercio, Suite 200
Scottsdale, Arizona 85258
Phone: (480) 888-5380
Fax: (480) 203-2881
Email: Rachel@TherapyWithHeart.com
Website: https://therapywithheart.com
