More and more often next to the word Mindfulness the term is present Self Compassion. Let's take a closer look at what it is!

Compassion is the English translation of the Latin word Cum patior (I suffer with) and it means participating in the suffering of the other. 

The word compassion is often mistaken for feeling pity. It actually has a very different meaning and implies one active participation in suffering, with the sense of taking care of it. The expression Self Compassion it is giving compassion to oneself, taking care of oneself, desiring and cultivating one's own well-being. 

Often we do not address ourselves in this way and above all this does not happen when we are going through a difficult time. We are much more used to relating to ourselves through criticism and judgment, often defining ourselves as useless, unsuccessful, undesirable, inadequate, guilty, wrong. The attitude of the Self-Compassion allows us to contact us with kindness, compassion, kindness, understanding and support, openly acknowledging the difficulty of the moment we are experiencing and asking ourselves equally openly: "How can I take care of myself now, in this moment and how can I take care of the pain and suffering I feel?".

In 2003, Kristin Neff, an American psychologist and researcher at the University of Texas, described the Self Compassion as the resultant of three basic skills: 

1) the ability to relate to yourself with kindness and understanding;

2) the ability to see one's negative experiences and flaws as shared aspects of the human experience;

3) the ability to face, contain, support their painful emotions and thoughts with awareness, warmth and presence.

MINDFULNESS AND SELF-COMPASSION

The practice of Mindfulness Self-Compassion has as its basis the practice of Mindfulness of which a fundamental aspect is precisely the Self Compassion, that is this attitude of turning towards ourselves and others with presence, stability, kindness, openness.

Through one constant practice di Mindfulness it is possible to meet what is there as it is, welcome it and take care of pain and emotional states that cross us, as well as thoughts, with a spirit of openness and curiosity. Feeling touched by one's suffering with an attitude of acceptance and openness allows us not to deny it or to exaggerate it, offering us the possibility to take care of it.

THE BENEFITS OF SELF-COMPASSION

La Self-Compassion helps the process of emotional self-regulation, helps maintain a healthy lifestyle, be mindful and compassionate towards oneself by carrying well-being in everyday life.

Mindfulness Self-Compassion can help:

• to activate the Resilience that is, the ability to recover from trauma and difficult and complex events;
• to undertake, cultivate and maintain healthy habits;
• within the path of psychotherapy for the reduction of anxiety and depressive thoughts to the extent that it is possible to relate to our difficult emotional states and be of help and support;
• to draw on their own emotional resources and their own personal skills, contributing to well-being emotional and the ability to adapt to life events;
• to enter contact with ourselves through kindness and not through criticism.

Marika Nuti

*Psy + Onlus is an organization that deals with making psychology accessible to everyone. For information on treatments and access to support paths, contact the toll free number 800.91.04.89 or visit the section of Psychological Clinical Counseling Center of our site. 

** Notes about the author: Marika Nuti is a Clinical Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Mindfulness Teacher. He graduated in clinical and community psychology at the University of Florence, specializes in Gestalt psychotherapy with an existential phenomenological address at the Gestalt Institute in Florence and finishes the course as a Mindfulness teacher at the CFM, Center for Mindfulness in medicine, health care, and society, Medical school University of Massachusetts. She works by offering individual psychotherapy services to adults and minors, organizes mindfulness workshops and groups for stress reduction through the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program. Within Psy + Onlus it is part of the school psychology services area and the team of psychotherapists of the Clinical Psychological Counseling Center.