It may be more common than we want to admit. In the middle of the day, you feel overwhelmed, tired, or stressed. Perhaps you notice a headache that is increasing or a burning in the pit of your stomach. And of course, you have had a difficult day or something unexpected happened that affected you more than you thought. What to do?
The self-compassion break will only take a few minutes. Start with a not very challenging situation, such as a small misunderstanding with a colleague, or heavy traffic on the way to work or school.
First, sit down and observe how your body feels, what you are thinking and feeling and recognize, through mindfulness, that you are experiencing an uncomfortable, difficult moment or circumstance; then, remember that you are not the only one who is going through this situation. Hundreds, thousands or perhaps millions of people have experienced or are experiencing the same thing as you. Feel accompanied by them.
To conclude, make a point of treating yourself with kindness and gentleness, as you would with someone you love very much. You can feel the touch of one hand against the other, one hand on your chest or both hands on your lap and wish with all your heart “May I be well, at peace, safe and happy.”
You can find the phrase that resonates best with you and try this simple practice the next time you feel your heart racing, or sadness looming.
Tell us about your experience. We are all on this path together.
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