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Practicing Self-Compassion on the Path to Recovery
4 Ways to Nurture Self-Compassion and Gratitude
Guest blog by “Ches” Ekron Crow, SouthLight Qualified Professional
I truly believe that compassion and gratitude are part of the cornerstone to recovery.
It has been my experience that it is so easy to get caught in the spiral of self-doubt and self-criticism. And I own that it is something that I struggle with on a continuing basis.
For me, compassion is simply the ability to be aware of suffering and the engagement with that suffering.
For me, compassion is simply the ability to be aware of suffering and the engagement with that suffering. Then the second part of it is to try and alleviate or prevent it from happening again. And specifically, to work towards self-compassion, we have to have the ability to speak to ourselves in a kindhearted way that allows you to feel connected to the rest of humanity.
Self-compassion is a skill that has to be developed. It’s learning to become aware of the way you speak to yourself now; becoming aware of that inner narrative, that voice that comments on every moment of every day.
Self-compassion allows us to not only speak to ourselves in a more kind and accepting way, but also helps balance those moments when our threat system is in overdrive.
If that voice doesn’t speak to you as you speak to your best friend, then there is work to be done to change that voice. Self-compassion allows us to not only speak to ourselves in a more kind and accepting way, but also helps balance those moments when our threat system is in overdrive.
4 Ways to Build Self-Compassion
- One way of building that self-compassion is through having more joy and gratitude in life. Find what brings you joy and take time to reflect on what you are grateful for.
- Keep a gratitude jar, a place where you can identify and write down at least one thing you are grateful for and place it in the jar.
- Practice mindfulness; being able to be more aware of the present moment, we are able to step back, notice that we are having those critical or harsh thoughts, and are able to show ourselves compassion.
- Journaling can be therapeutic; keeping a gratitude journal is another way to focus on what you are grateful for.
Through building gratitude and subsequently self-compassion, we are able to accept ourselves and not have such harsh thoughts about ourselves.
Through building gratitude and subsequently self-compassion, we are able to accept ourselves and not have such harsh thoughts about ourselves. It’s important to recognize that all of us make mistakes and that you can try again the next day or the day after that.
Remember: showing ourselves compassion can help us to live a life of balance, a life of appreciation, and a life of value.
Remember: showing ourselves compassion can help us to live a life of balance, a life of appreciation, and a life of value.
Ches works as a Qualified Professional in SouthLight’s Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP).
Read a blog about practicing self-love here and learn 4 ways of what self-love looks like.