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American psychologist Kristin Neff hits nails with headlines in Psychology Magazine: “We don't treat anyone as badly as we treat ourselves. We have to be smart, successful, athletic, handsome, interesting ... And if this does not succeed, we are not tender with ourselves. All this self-criticism certainly does not make our lives more cheerful. Therefore, it is important to stop this and show more self-compassion.

Self-compassion means looking at yourself in a kind, non-judgmental and non-critical way. Besides mindfulness, self-compassion is one of the new paths psychology has taken to help people with all kinds of problems. It also helps against feelings of depression and anxiety.

What is self-compassion?
Self-compassion involves giving yourself the care and support as you would give to a good friend. So instead of self-criticism, you have compassion for the fact that you are not perfect or are going through a difficult time. By the way, did you know that self-criticism is one of the leading causes of depression? Research also shows that people with more self-compassion, make more attempts to achieve their goals.

Self-compassion motivates
If you have a lot of self-compassion, you pursue goals as ambitious as other people. The difference is only that you can deal with it when you don't succeed. You give yourself the leniency you need.

So what is the difference between self-confidence and self-compassion?
Self-compassion is about the relationship you have with yourself. Self-compassion is about being understanding toward your less good or not-so-good sides.
Self-confidence is about how you judge yourself, about feeling good about the positive aspects of yourself.

(FVDV for Tagtik/Source: Psychologie Magazine/Picture: Pixabay)