Self-Compassion

CATEGORY: PERSONAL

Why:

Many teens (and adults) have a harsh inner critic. With practice we can balance this tendency with self-compassion.

Warm-Up:

Do you ever criticize yourself? If so, when does that tend to happen…and what do you say to yourself?

Exploration:

Nearly everyone has a self-critic inside, and often we're much harsher on ourselves than on anyone else. Dr. Kristin Neff shares a way to turn self-criticism into self-compassion: Take whatever issue you’re currently criticizing yourself about, and imagine that you are instead counseling a friend who has that problem. What would you tell them? The kindness and understanding you're likely to offer a friend is the more compassionate way you can respond to yourself. Try it out on the issue you raised earlier.

Additional Resources

For more details, research, and activities around self-compassion, visit Dr. Kristin Neff's website.