Self-compassion: the beneficial alternative

Self-compassion is being an ally to yourself rather than an enemy.

It involves three closely connected components:

1. Self-kindness is as it sounds: it’s the act of treating yourself kindly, rather than with harsh criticism.
2. Common humanity involves acknowledging that humans are flawed works-in-progress who are all connected to each other, if only through the fact that they all struggle in some way.
3. Mindfulness is the process of neither pushing away nor clinging to any thought or feeling – it’s the experience of simply observing everything as it is.