Dear College of Education Community,
Practicing compassion is important for our relationship with others, but especially healing when we engage in self-compassion for ourselves. “Self-compassion is simply the process of turning compassion inward.,” states Dr. Kristin Neff, Associate Professor of Human Development and Culture at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Neff has conducted extensive research on self-compassion. She states that to engage in self-compassion, “We’re kind and understanding rather than harshly self-critical when we fail, make mistakes, or feel inadequate. We give ourselves support and encouragement rather than being cold or judgmental when challenges and difficulties arise in our lives. Research indicates that self-compassion is one of the most powerful sources of coping and resilience we have available, radically improving our mental and physical wellbeing. It motivates us to make changes and reach our goals not because we’re inadequate, but because we care and want to be happy.”
Dr. Neff offers excellent resources at her self-compassion website, including the following exercises:
https://self-compassion.org/self-compassion-practices/#self-compassion-exercises
To see Dr. Neff’s entire website, go to:
For a list of other self-care options, you can also go to our COE self-care website for resources for faculty, staff, students, and the community at
https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/self-care
May we all have compassion for ourselves.
Warmly,
Shari