PRHHEALTH
Posh Painting by Rita llc.
Rita Coccia Trombetta 856-986-0252
TIPS FOR BEING A BETTER FRIEND to
yourself
Specializing in interior and exterior painting
courtesy of DR. TARA DRAMES, PSY.D. Live Better Therapy Solutions
Did you ever notice
H E A LT H
that it’s typically easier to be understanding and forgiving of others than to be that way toward yourself? We are much more likely to give others the benefit of the doubt when they experience hardship but can be our own worst critic when it comes to our own mistakes. As licensed mental health professionals, we find that many people in our practice dealing with stress, anxiety and depression tend to benefit from learning the practice of self-compassion. Self-compassion, initially defined by Dr. Kristin Neff in the positive psychology literature, involves “being kind to oneself when confronting personal inadequacies or situational difficulties.” Neff described three components of selfcompassion including: 1) self-kindness, being kind to yourself rather than self-critical; 2) common humanity, seeing one’s shortcomings as part of the larger human experience; and 3) mindfulness, sitting with one’s painful thoughts and feelings rather than avoiding them. Self-compassion means being able to be forgiving and loving towards yourself when you likely need it most. It involves being encouraging when things become difficult or empathetic when we notice something we don’t like about ourselves. It’s no different than being compassionate or kind to a friend or loved one. It’s taking the encouraging, understanding voice we have for loved ones and turning it inward, instead. Rather than being a harsh self-critic, we recognize we are all human and therefore - we’re all imperfect! If you tend to be tough on yourself, these tips for practicing self-compassion may be helpful to you.
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| ROWHOME MAGAZINE | October / November / December 2022
1
hen you’re upset or going W through something difficult, talk to yourself like you would your best friend. Would you encourage your friend to criticize themselves?
2
emember that you are human. Aim R to view your mistakes and shortcomings as a natural part of life. Remind yourself that many other people feel they’re not good enough at times, too.
3
orgive yourself for your mistakes. Try F seeing them as learning experiences. Practice compassionate self-talk such as “I did the best I could at the time” or “I’m allowed to mess up sometimes.”
4
e patient with yourself. No one has B it all together - we’re all a work in progress. Try adding the word “yet” to statements (for example, “I don’t know how to do this… yet.”)
If you find that you become so critical of yourself, experience intense feelings, or notice changes in your typical behavior/ ability to function, reach out to a mental health professional for support. Live Better Therapy Solutions is a member of the Philadelphia RowHome (PRH) Magazine Business Network.
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