How are Self Compassion and Gratitude related? By: Emma Kravitz, MSW, LCSW

How are Self Compassion and Gratitude related? By: Emma Kravitz, MSW, LCSW

Self-compassion increases inner strength, courage, and resilience in the face of difficult situations. You can start developing self-compassion by being grateful for what your human body allows you to do. You can be curious and see if gratitude can help you develop self-compassion.

Some questions to consider as you explore your own self compassion

• Am I disapproving and judgmental about my own flaws and inadequacies?
• When I’m feeling down, do I tend to obsess and fixate on everything that’s wrong?
• When things are going badly for me, do I see the difficulties as part of life that everyone goes through?
• When I think about my inadequacies, does it tend to make me feel more separate and cut off from the rest of the world?
• Do I try to be loving towards myself when I’m feeling emotional pain?
• When I fail at something important to me, do I become consumed by feelings of inadequacy?
• When I feel inadequate in some way, do I try to remind myself that feelings of inadequacy are shared by most people?
• Am I intolerant and impatient towards those aspects of my personality I don’t like?
• When something painful happens do I try to take a balanced view of the situation?
• Do I try to see my failings as part of the human condition?
• Am I kind to myself when I’m experiencing suffering?

As you reflect on these questions, allow yourself to feel gratitude for the compassion you are able to provide for yourself. Explore the idea of pausing to pay attention to something you are grateful for each day. Challenge yourself to find ways to show yourself or others kindness and appreciation this month. 

“…having compassion for yourself means that you honor and accept your

humanness. Things will not always go the way you want them to. You will

encounter frustrations, losses will occur, you will make mistakes, bump up

against your limitations, fall short of your ideals. This is the human condition, a

reality shared by all of us. The more you open your heart to this reality instead of

constantly fighting against it, the more you will be able to feel compassion for

yourself and all your fellow humans in the experience of life.” – Dr. Kristin Neff