Self-Compassion: A Psychological Study

With self-compassion, we give ourselves the same kindness and care we would give a close friend. — Kristin Neff

A recent study shows that people who feel greater compassion toward themselves experience less stress. The easiest way to reduce stress and pressure is to avoid being harsh with yourself!

Self-compassion is also associated with:

• optimism,
• a sense of vitality,
• and energy.

These conclusions come from a study conducted among students in their first year of university. Dr. Katie Gunnell, who led the research team in this study, says:

“Our study suggests that the psychological stress students may experience during the transition from high school to university can be eased through self-compassion. This compassion strengthens the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and belonging, which in turn enrich a person’s quality of life.”

The researchers explain that self-compassion consists of three elements:

Self-kindness, which is the ability to be caring and kind toward oneself rather than sharply critical,

Common humanity, which is the understanding that everyone is vulnerable to making mistakes and failing, and that our experiences are part of a broad shared experience,

Mindfulness, or living in the moment, which means being present and aware while keeping thoughts balanced rather than overidentifying with them (identifying with the feeling or thought).”

Professor Peter Crocker, a co-author of the study, says:

“The study shows that the first year of university is stressful. Students who are accustomed to receiving high grades may be shocked when they do not achieve the same results at university. They may find it difficult to live away from home and miss much of the social support that was available during high school.

Self-compassion may appear to be an effective strategy for dealing with this type of difficulty.”

Developing self-compassion

Writing is one way to develop a sense of self-compassion. Think about a recent negative experience you went through and write about it, focusing on being compassionate toward yourself as you describe your experience. In other words, do not be overly critical of yourself, and accept that everyone makes mistakes.

The study was published in the journal “Personality and Individual Differences” in 2016. (The study is not available in a free version)

Author: Dr. Jeremy Dean

Photographer: Amy Treasure