Compassion, Awareness,
Mindfulness and Acceptance

Self-Care, Self-Compassion and Gratefulness Building

Self-Care = 5 Steps

  • Adequate sleep - 7-8 hours per night
  • Nutrition - 5-7 veges +3-4 fruits + lots water
  • Exercise - 50-60 min age & medically appropriate exercise most days
  • Fun - engage in activities that give you pleasure
  • Connect with others often.

Self-compassion = 3 Steps

  • Acknowledge this struggle e.g. “this is a moment of suffering, this hurts, ouch, this is hard, this is stressful etc.”
  • Acknowledge that struggling and suffering are part of life and of being human. Comfort yourself as you would a loved one in this struggle, place a comforting hand on your heart, where it hurts or where it is comfortable for you. Acknowledge this struggle e.g. “I am not alone, this is common, we all struggle”.
  • Be kind to yourself - consider what small steps you can take in this moment to care for yourself e.g. Self-care steps, mindfulness exercise turning toward this struggle with kindness, curiosity and no judgement, see if you can locate where you notice the struggle in your body, place a kind hand there, hold it with kindness as if it were a small child, expand around it, breath into it, give it some light and space, describe it's features such as colour, temperature, shape etc.

Self-compassion exercise

May I be held in loving kindness
May I be well in mind and body
May I be safe from harm
May I be happy and free.

Extend this loving kindness first to yourself, then to the person you love closest to you, then to the next person out from them in your life and so on until you are extending this to the universe.
By Dr Kristen Neff
https://selfcompassion.org

Gratefulness and here and now exercise

Helps to focus on the many good things in your life, and not just focus on the challenges. Helps build resilience and confidence to keep striving toward the best person you can possibly become in spite of the inevitable challenges you come up against along the way.

  • Name 3 things you are grateful for today
  • Name 3 people you appreciate today
  • Name 3 things you did well today
  • Name 3 things you will do well tomorrow.