Learning how to practice self compassion is becoming more important than ever in the present times. In these times of comparing yourself easily and beating yourself up over the slightest inconvenience, being compassionate towards yourself is a necessary method of self-care.
You cannot learn how to practice self compassion without having a strong relationship with yourself. Being compassionate towards yourself is not just about forgiving yourself for the mistakes you have made. It is also about loving yourself for being you.
Humans are bound to make mistakes. There is nobody who hasn’t made a mistake ever. But not every person finds themselves worthy enough to forgive. Sometimes, forgiving yourself becomes the most difficult task because you don’t know how to practice self compassion.
Fearing failure is not the solution. Failures are inevitable in life. That’s how you learn and grow. But, take a moment to think about how you treat yourself when you fail at something or the outcome is not what you desired.
If you are one of those people who become too hard on themselves when life gives a hit, you must learn how to practice self compassion.
Guilt is a very strong emotion. But clinging on to it doesn’t do any good. It only takes you down in life. While forgiving others and nurturing yourself don’t come easily, they are important to practice. You have to learn to love yourself and be more compassionate towards yourself, just as you would do to a loved one when they do something wrong.
In today’s blog, I am sharing 10 ways in which you can practice self compassion and be more empathetic towards yourself.
How to Practice Self Compassion? | 10 Simple Tips + 50 Prompts to Help You
Developing self love and learning how to practice self compassion sets a solid foundation for better health, successful relationships, and general wellbeing. Some significant benefits of practicing self compassion include lower levels of anxiety and depression. Thus, to practice self compassion is to become more aware of yourself.
Why Should You Practice Self Compassion?
Self compassion is your ability to acknowledge your mistakes. It helps you to accept your mistakes and become more understanding towards yourself.
Self compassion saves you from self doubt. When you have higher self compassion, you can let go of your mistakes. It helps you to sail through tough times without being a rude and harsh self critic.
When you have self compassion you build fulfilling relationships. Your higher levels of confidence help you to realize that making mistakes is a part of being human.
When you know how to practice self compassion you become more kind to yourself. You don’t beat yourself up for what’s done. Instead, you become more self aware to fix the problem.
Self compassion means that you treat yourself like you would treat a good friend or someone you love when things go the other way. It builds resilience in you.
This is why people with self compassion can withstand the challenges in life. They can bounce back and move forward in their lives without getting into the vicious spiral of cruel self criticism and self blame. They rise above shaming themselves for making mistakes.
How to Practice Self Compassion?
People who lack self compassion are over-critical of themselves. They find it easy to put the blame on themselves and be tough on themselves, but it’s even more difficult for them to even consider forgiveness. They have a hard time moving on from their mistakes.
Self Compassion may or may not come naturally to you. But you can learn to practice it by seeing it around you and make it a part of your personality.
Research conducted by the National Library of Medicine revealed that you can learn self compassion gradually. So, let’s learn from these 10 tips that will show you how to practice self compassion in your daily life.
1. Build your physical health
To practice self compassion you must comfort your body and nurture it with healthy food. Schedule a time to rest. Include mobility in your daily routine. Dedicate time to take a walk, especially if you are a remote worker or you have a sedentary lifestyle. Every little action you take towards making yourself feel good physically adds to your sense of self compassion. It starts by being mindful of what goes on in your body, it begins with improving your eating habits and knowing how it impacts your health.
2. Take time for your mind food
Your mind is the seed of your soul. Just like your body, your mind craves good food, too. Don’t neglect it. Spend time absorbing information and doing things that build a growth mindset. Feed your mind with information that takes you a step ahead.
- Read books that build your mental muscles.
- Listen to podcasts or watch YouTube videos that share inspirational journeys.
- Consume content and conversations that add value to your life.
- Surround yourself with people and guidance that will take you forward.
3. Nurture your feelings with a letter
The technique of writing love letters to yourself is another great way to practice self compassion. Creative writing has been proven to improve your mental health, contributing to the love you create for yourself. The goal is to write to yourself without any negativity.
Think of a situation that completely shattered you. It could be the ending of a relationship or losing a job opportunity, or anything else.
Address the situation in this letter and write it to yourself without playing any blame game. Do this to acknowledge the pain you went through and nurture your feelings. Take control of the negative self talk and congratulate yourself on making it out of that misery.
4. Encourage yourself
When you start learning how to practice self compassion, the ground rule says: “If you wouldn’t say it to a friend, don’t say it to yourself”.
So, count yourself as your friend.
Think of the times when your friend did something wrong, and you held onto them with compassion. Think of the language you used to calm them down to make them feel better.
The next time you are in a similar situation, redirect those compassionate words to yourself instead of being too critical. Choose those same affirming words for yourself to stay calm.
5. Practice mindfulness
Pain is personal. You cannot measure it as more or less for people. Even when you have moved on from the situation, the feelings of emptiness can easily resurface at any given time.
To avoid not feeling the same negativity again, practice mindfulness.
Mindfulness works as a stepping stone in your journey towards self compassion. You can try different mindfulness exercises like yoga, deep meditation, art and painting, knitting, gardening, etc, to become more aware of your present and let go of the past.
Becoming mindful is one of the core components of building self compassion. They revise your brain by reducing stress and increasing your sense of well-being.
6. Use affirmations
Self Compassion affirmations are different from the positive affirmations you may use in your daily life. Regular positive affirmations are normally used to broaden your sense of understanding and awareness.
But, research shows that self compassion affirmations are used in contrast to this. They focus on three key components:
- mindfulness,
- humanity, and
- self kindness.
They are more goal-oriented. They are designed not just to motivate you but also to ignite the intention to change.
Some examples are:
- I forgive myself and accept my flaws because I understand nobody is perfect.
- I will continue moving forward without allowing self-doubt or self-judgment to stop me.
- I choose to be easy on myself and grow with my mistakes.
7. Let go of outside validation
Seeking validation from other people and the uncontrollable need to please them are two significant traits of people who lack self compassion.
When you are dependent on other people’s opinions to make you feel good, you give them the power to control your life in every way. You allow them to control your feelings and your emotions.
Learning how to practice self compassion is the way to take that power back. When you release the need to not let outside sources influence your happiness, you become more self-reliant. This not only builds your confidence and self-esteem but also builds your control over your life.
8. Don’t prejudge yourself
Mostly, you become reluctant to show up for difficult times because you prejudge yourself. Presumption has killed more dreams than any other feeling. You assume that you will behave a certain way and that it’s best to be absent instead of owning up to your deeds. Thus, not judging yourself so easily is an important ingredient to practice self compassion.
Your prejudice might also hamper your growth because not everything you overthink has to be true. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt and don’t let your assumptions take away from what you could become.
9. Follow your passion
This might feel like the most cliche advice you have heard a gazillion times. But, it is so obvious because it helps.
Discovering your passion is not just about making money from what you love and having a career with it. It is also about having hobbies or passion projects that make you feel good about yourself.
Whether it’s your profession, a hobby, or a person, self compassion allows you to spend more time doing what you enjoy. It brings you a sense of satisfaction, which nurtures your well-being.
10. Accept your flaws
As I mentioned above, comparing yourself and your life with others happens every now and then. The digital age pressure is real.
It is easy to get lost in the limelight of an “Instagram-worthy” lifestyle. So, for some people, self compassion can also begin with learning to accept your flaws.
Cultivating acceptance about things that you cannot change, appreciating the little things in life, and being grateful for what you have are what take you towards abundance. They bring you contentment and joy.
+50 Journaling Prompts For You to Practice Self Compassion:
If you’re more of a scribbler like me, journaling could be the perfect way to practice self compassion for you. There are many benefits of journaling when it comes to your mental health and building a relationship with yourself.
So, here are a few questions and journaling prompts that will let you be more kind and fall in love with yourself without compromising on your uniqueness:
- What makes my heart sing and fly?
- What are the physical activities I enjoy?
- Can I treat myself the same way I treat my best friend?
- What changes my mood positively when I am stressed?
- What are some of the lessons I learned recently from my mistakes?
- Who are the people that make me forget the time when I am with them?
- How can I spend more time with myself? What are the things that excite me?
- What content do I consume everywhere? How is it impacting my mind and life?
- What are the situations when I become hard on myself? What can I do to change that?
- Am I growing in life? If yes, what are the contributing factors? How can I amplify them? If not, what are the hurdles? How can I overcome them?
Here are a few more to keep you going.
These journaling prompts will help you cultivate self-kindness, self-love, and appreciation for your unique qualities:
Self Kindness & Compassion
- How would I treat myself if I were my own best friend?
- Write a letter of forgiveness to yourself for past mistakes.
- What is one thing I can do today to show myself kindness?
- List three ways I can be gentler with myself during difficult times.
- Write down five kind words I would say to someone I love—then say them to myself.
- What limiting beliefs do I hold about myself that I need to let go of?
- What does my inner critic say most often, and how can I respond with kindness?
- When was the last time I felt truly at peace with myself? What contributed to that feeling?
- Describe a time when I showed resilience. How can I appreciate myself for it?
- What’s one thing I need to hear today? Write it down and say it out loud.
Falling in Love with Yourself
- What are three things I genuinely love about myself?
- What makes me unique, and why is that a strength?
- If I were to write a love letter to myself, what would it say?
- What compliments have I received that I struggle to accept?
- Describe myself through the eyes of someone who loves me.
- What personal achievements am I most proud of, and why?
- How does my body support me every day?
- List five things that make me feel radiant and alive.
- What are my favorite personality traits?
- What do I wish people noticed more about me?
Authenticity & Uniqueness
- What are my quirks, and why do I love them?
- How do I express my true self in my daily life?
- When do I feel the most like myself?
- What are my core values, and how do they shape my decisions?
- How can I celebrate my individuality instead of comparing myself to others?
- If I could describe my essence in three words, what would they be?
- What are some past experiences that beautifully shaped me?
- When have I felt misunderstood, and how can I honor my uniqueness?
- What unconventional dreams or goals do I have?
- How can I stay true to myself even when others don’t understand me?
Nurturing Self-Worth
- What do I deserve, and why?
- How do I define my worth outside of external achievements?
- What brings me joy, and how can I create more space for it?
- What’s something I admire in others that I also have within me?
- What’s one thing I can do today to invest in my well-being?
- How do I want to be remembered, and how can I embody that today?
- Write about a moment when I felt deeply loved.
- What positive habits help me feel my best?
- What are some ways I can set better boundaries to protect my peace?
- How does my uniqueness contribute to the world around me?
Daily Gratitude & Joy
- What’s one thing I’m grateful for about myself today?
- What simple pleasures bring me happiness?
- How can I romanticize my everyday life more?
- What small act of self-care can I prioritize this week?
- What’s a moment today that made me smile?
- How can I bring more fun and playfulness into my life?
- What’s something I used to love doing as a child that I want to revisit?
- What’s one way I can show love to myself through my actions today?
- How can I be more present in my own life?
- What does self-love mean to me, and how can I embody it fully?
These prompts are designed to help you build a deeper, more compassionate relationship with yourself while embracing your uniqueness. Pick one each day and see how your perspective shifts! 💙
Why is it so hard to practice self-compassion?
It is so hard to practice self compassion because it is not taught in schools and colleges. People don’t know how to be compassionate because nobody teaches it to you, neither at home nor at the educational institutions.
There is no curriculum where parents or teachers nurture the children to build a strong mindset and learn self kindness.
While everyone teaches you to be nice and kind to others, no one even talks about showing those emotions towards yourself.
Most of the time, you have to figure it out yourself through trial and error.
Self compassion is also a life skill in itself. The more you practice, the better you become in handling your emotions.
If you learn how to practice self compassion, you will also learn how to cope with the ups and downs in your life.
People find it hard because it is also seen as a remedy and not a necessity.
Most people don’t put effort into being self-compassionate. They feel shy due to the unattainable societal standards and unrealistic peer pressure. It’s because people fail to celebrate individuality and want you to follow the same path they walked on.
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Can self-compassion be taught?
One-word answer: yes.
As I said, self-compassion is a life skill. It’s like training your muscles to stretch. The more you practice, the better it gets. Most people have the false notion that it cannot be taught because of a popular narrative pushed through the media.
To learn how to practice self-compassion, you have to be first aware of its pros and cons. Then you must research what are the things you need to do and what to avoid to practice it.
Learning how to practice self compassion will give you the strength to sustain the difficulties in life.
What are the 3 Pillars of Self-Compassion?
Self compassion has 3 main pillars:
- Empathy,
- Sympathy, and
- Forgiveness
By being empathetic towards your experiences, you will become more compassionate towards yourself. To nurture your empathy, try this simple hack. Whenever you get hard on yourself, watch your childhood pictures. This simple exercise will help you to treat yourself as you would a child when they make a mistake.
If you sympathize with yourself, you will start understanding why things are the way they are. You will know what you do and why you do it.
Forgiveness is the prerequisite to growth. As you forgive yourself, you begin to focus on things for the future ahead.
What are the 6 Components of Self Compassion?
The 6 components of self compassion are:
- Forgiving yourself
- Being kind to yourself
- Realistic view of yourself
- Humanistic view of yourself
- Non-judgemental to yourself
- Showing sympathy to yourself
What are the 7 C’s of Self-Compassion?
The 7 C’s of self-compassion are:
1. Connection: By making good connections with people, you are being self-compassionate. You are avoiding self-harm, overcoming self-hate, and refusing to engage in self-sabotaging activity.
2. Communication: By communicating with others, you are putting your interest forward. And, thus, you are being self-compassionate.
3. Community: If you belong to a community, you are saving yourself from loneliness. By having a sense of community, you negate the chances of self negativity.
4. Caring: When you care for yourself, you are being empathetic toward your cause.
5. Confidence: If you have confidence, you are simply nurturing your mind for better things. Thus leading to more self-compassion.
6. Conscience: If you have a conscience towards everything you do, you will notice the right and wrong and judge the situations from a neutral perspective.
7. Commitment: As you commit yourself to something, you are giving yourself the time and opportunity to explore your mind and heart, to find your true purpose in life.
What is the Golden Rule of Self-Compassion?
The only golden rule of self-compassion is being kind to every person, including yourself. You realize you don’t have to be perfect, but you have to be better as you progress.
Conclusion
When you have been living under a shell, it can be hard to practice self compassion. You can start your journey of being more kind and compassionate with yourself by moving one pebble at a time.
All the self love and self acceptance won’t come overnight. It will take time, but the only secret is to continue cultivating it a little bit every day.
Self compassion improves your perception of yourself and your outlook on life. You become more open to connecting with other people, building new relationships, and mending broken bonds (if you want) because your self compassion makes you more confident about yourself. It strengthens your perspective and vision in life.
You cannot pour from an empty cup, thus, it is important that you fill yourself with love first before you go out to give it to others.
Practicing self compassion will take empathy a step forward by making you emotionally intelligent. You cultivate a nature to help people as and when you can.
I hope I have motivated you to become more compassionate towards yourself and that you’ll be kinder and loving towards yourself.
Until next time…
See you soon!
