Self-Compassion
I’m a Psychologist and here’s something that one can do when
going through a really tough time, is try to be a bit more self-compassionate.
It’s hard but there is one way of doing it, and that’s to be
a curious observer of what’s going on with you rather than being caught up with
it. So notice what is changed in your body, your brain and your behavior. So in
your body, is your heart rate different? Is it faster, or slower? Are you
holding any tension anywhere in your body? Are your palm sweatier? Is your body
reacting in different ways? In your brain, are your thoughts different? Are you
catastrophizing (jumping to the worst possible conclusion of a situation) and
ruminating more? Is your harsh self-critique really loud? And in your behavior,
are you avoiding the things that used to give you pleasure? Are you withdrawing
from people, places or situations that you used to be okay with?
If you become more of a curious observer of yourself, you
create a gap where you are reflecting rather than reacting. You are giving
yourself some psychological flexibility and a chance. And more importantly, you
are developing some self-compassion. Look on yourself kindly. And in that gap
and with that compassion, you can start to heal.
