Importance of Self Compassion

Self-compassion is the act of being kind and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail or feel inadequate rather than ignoring our pain or confronting ourselves with self-criticism. It takes conscious effort to be self-compassionate but with practice, it can become more effortless. Self-compassion provides an armour against our inner critic. Creativity can be a vulnerable act, opening one up to judgement and criticism, the process becomes easier to deal with when you are kind to yourself.

1: Self-compassion allows us to take care of ourselves. When we accept imperfection, we face the reality of the situation. Accepting our flaws and lack of perfection allows us to improve ourselves and understand others better. It allows us to go easy on ourselves and to appreciate others. It wouldn’t be life if things didn’t go wrong along the way, which is why having self-kindness can make the journey a little easier.

2: Acknowledge and reflect on your thoughts instead of spiralling. Be open to the spectrum of emotions you go through. That makes it easier to maintain balance and perspective when you either fail or experience something upsetting. The aim is to approach experiences with curiosity and openness.

3: Be aware that being self-compassionate is not the same as going easy on ourselves. Psychologists have found that people with high self-compassion experience less anxiety and depression. They also maintain high motivational characteristics and strong emotional resilience. It’s a method of self-nurturing to help us reach our full potential and goals.

It’s sometimes hard to understand the inner process of our minds. Even though our inner critic is there to warn us of danger, it can be counterproductive. Self-compassion is a conscious effort and can be hard to maintain, but, it can help make the journey of education and life easier and exciting.

If you are a current student at UAL and are struggling with negative thoughts, you can get support through student services.