Compassionate Self-Criticism
Constant self-criticism may lead to the emergence of shame, as well as decrease one’s self-esteem.
In order to make self-criticism bearable in this scenario, self-compassion is required, since it allows you to acknowledge your faults, without engaging in self-punishment and self-judgment.
Benefits of Self-Compassion
Compassion for others begins with self-compassion, and it takes in the entire picture, while showing you the path to improvement. This compassionate environment makes it easier to take a close look at your, while feeling safe, secure and confident.
Love Yourself
The next time you notice yourself criticizing or berating yourself, hit the pause button. Tell yourself to ‘STOP’. Then tell yourself that ‘even though I……., I love and accept myself for who I am’.
This could be, ‘even though I wasted time today, instead of working on my project…’ or ‘even though I slept in, when I should have been working…’ or, ‘even though I promised my daughter I would help her with her homework but got stuck at work’. Love yourself even when you can’t.
Generate Compassion
Mentally give yourself a hug and try to generate a feeling of self-compassion. Although it may feel slightly awkward at first, regularly repeating the sequence will make you realize that love and self-compassion can alleviate even the strongest negative emotions.
You would then path the way to being at peace with yourself, while still striving to improve.
Therapeutic Effects
Self-compassion has been negatively linked to psychopathology, which means that the more self-compassionate and driven you are, the more your mental health benefits. The skill of being self-reassuring and compassionate in the face of setbacks is used in psychotherapy as well.
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Full reference:
Liya Panayotova (Mar 29, 2016). Compassionate Self-Criticism. Retrieved Jan 21, 2025 from Explorable.com: https://explorable.com/e/compassionate-self-criticism
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