Entails a clear and balanced awareness of one's present moment experience of suffering, without exaggerating negative aspects of oneself or one's life experience (a process that is termed "over-identification")

Mindfulness in Self-Compassion

Acknowledgment of the shared human experience, understanding that being human inherently includes the experience of pain, imperfection, and difficulty. Rather than feeling isolated by one's difficulties—egocentrically feeling as if "I" am alone in my struggles—one takes an expanded and more interconnected perspective when considering personal imperfections and challenges.

Recognition of Common Humanity

Entails treating oneself with warmth, respect, and care. Rather than harshly judging oneself for personal limitations or flaws, the self is offered unconditional acceptance and support.

Warmth & Comfort AKA Self-Kindness

Self-Compassion is comprised of three facets:
- Being mindfully attuned
- Recognition of common humanity
- Offering warmth and comfort

Pitzer College

Self-compassion entails being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate, rather than ignoring our pain or punishing ourselves with self-criticism. Self-compassion also requires taking a balanced approach to our negative emotions so that feelings are neither suppressed nor exaggerated. This equilibrated stance stems from the process of relating personal experiences to those of others who are also suffering, thus putting our own situation into a larger perspective. It also stems from the willingness to observe our negative thoughts and emotions with openness and clarity, so that they are held in mindful awareness rather than overidentifying with them.

Self-Compassion

Vigna, A. J., Poehlmann-Tynan, J., & Koenig, B. W. (2017). Does Self-Compassion Facilitate Resilience to Stigma? A School-Based Study of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth. Mindfulness, 9(3), 914–924. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0831-x 

Does Self-Compassion Facilitate Resilience to Stigma? A School-Based Study of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth

The 3 Branches of Self-Compassion

Self compassion is the most prominent mediator of the positive relationship between MBCT and treatment resistant depression. Increasing it in depressed patients can help lessen emotional suffering. MBCT can lead to higher levels of self-compassion, which can lead to overall increased overall well-being. 

Mediators of the Relationship Between Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Treatment Resistant Depression: Self Compassion

- increase in perceptual sensitivity and improved vigilance in a sustained visual attention task
- increased activation in the attention network (prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate among other regions)
- less impulsiveness, tolerance to stressors, and heightened self-esteem
- increased response inhibition predicting adaptive socio-emotional functioning 
- reduced ruminative thinking and anxiety 
- increased empathy and self-compassion 
- reduced stress symptoms, helps in the process of positive reappraisal to deal with stress

Cognitive and Psychological Effects of Meditation Retreats

Self-Compassion interventions involve implementing programs aimed at cultivating and increasing self-compassion through education and practices. They are helpful in addressing a variety of mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress etc.

Self-Compassion Intervention

Increased self compassion is one of the characteristics of practicing mindfulness for therapists. A therapist’s ability to adhere to some of the most important components of mindfulness, such as non-judging and non-reacting, were shown to be strongly affected by increased self compassion. With a sense of increase self compassion, therapists have a better ability to put themselves in others’ shoes and react to others experiences without feeling uncomfortable.

Enhanced Sense of Compassion in Practicing Therapists

Sessions of psychoeducation combined with VR-based relaxation, for which VR can be of added value as it requires less effort than traditional relaxation exercises and removes distractions. VR self-compassion exercises using the relatively novel technique of changing perspective is also utilized to alleviate depressive symptoms and facilitate empathy for oneself and others. 

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