Cultivating compassion
Towards us and others
- Self-monitoring
- Self-criticism
- Fearful Imagination
- Fear of feelings
- Emotional avoidance
- Shame – sense of inferiority
- Rumination
Creative and Compassionate Ways to Boost your Wellbeing
Elaine Beaumont & Mary Welford are two leading mental health professionals in the field of wellbeing and authors of “My Kindness Workbook”. They discovered that kindness is ‘the quality or act of being helpful, caring, considerate, generous, gentle and thoughtful’. They also created a well-rounded combination of ingredients that can help your adolescent live a kinder, more compassionate life. They can remember it using the mnemonic K.I.N.D.N.E.S.S.
Making decisions that have your wellbeing at heart can help you live a fulfilling life (instead of a life that’s driven by fear or avoidance). What decisions can you make that are good for your wellbeing? Making plans for your future, having a hobby, enrolling on a course, setting yourself a challenge, facing fears.
Being kind to yourself. If you’re having a bad day, think about what will help you feel better. How do you look after yourself and how might you build on that? Does it help to have ‘time out’ on your own when things are difficult, or does it help if you’re around animals or nature? Asking yourself ‘How can I show myself kindness today?’ Painting a picture, being in nature, listening to music, watching a comedy, talking to somebody or writing about how you feel. Remember if things don’t go your way, be kind to yourself.
My Kindness Box
Helping teenagers cultivate self-compassion – MORE TIPS!
Self-compassion means treating yourself with respect when things don’t go as expected. Every parent wants their teenager to grow up being kind to themselves. But this begins with leading by example and by checking in to make sure they are cultivating this in their life. Building a strong parent-child relationship not only helps your teenager feel loved, secure and accepted but it will allow them to feel more confident to face challenges when they know you won’t judge them when things don’t go as planned. It is not only important that parents become attuned with their adolescents’ emotional regulation development but that they support them in this process by teaching them how to cultivate more self-compassion.
4 Tips to help your Adolescent Nurture Self-Compassion
‘I’m doing the best I can.’
‘I’m a good person.’
‘It’s okay not to have it all together’
‘I chose to honour my body and mind, which is why I did not get through everything on my to-do list’
‘I am proud for having made that difficult choice’