The Benefit of Self Compassion in Anxiety

How self-compassion assists in overcoming anxiety

Anxiety is one of the most common emotional experiences in the United States right now. We want you to know that it is ok to sometimes be anxious. If anxiety is starting to creep into all parts of your life, we are here for that too! When you have anxiety issues, our anxious emotions tend to create fear, worries, and overwhelm. Additionally, these feelings can fill all parts of our life including our relationships, work performance, and overall health. Also, it should not go unnoticed that anxiety struggles can also create a secondary experience of deep inner criticism. This criticism comes out in many ways. One of the most common is that this inner criticism can come out as inaccurate beliefs that you ‘should’ be a lot of things. “I should be strong.” “I should be able to handle this by now.” “I should be more like others.”

---

Inner Criticism will increase your Anxiety

If you have been in therapy, you have probably heard from your therapist that allowing inner thoughts that lead with the ‘should’ word will cause increased emotional distress. This is true! ‘Shoulding’ ourselves causes self criticism and low self esteem. Today, we want to encourage you to begin applying self-compassion as one of your approaches to helping yourself manage anxious emotions.

Using self compassion helps to move away from feeling shame in our emotions. This approach actually works very well when you are managing anxiousness. Rather than the internal criticism, it allows emotional space to consider how to best approach the emotion. There are a number of benefits to using self compassion, especially when living with anxiety. Here are a few….

Why self-compassion helps with anxiety

 

Improves emotional regulation

Self-compassion can help people be more aware of their emotions and regulate them. This works because compassion depersonalizes the anxiety allowing for you to apply skills to “work” on your anxiety.

Increases Confidence

Once you are able to be compassionate to yourself with your anxiousness, another change comes. You are no longer blaming your entire self for being anxious and thus allowing confident feelings to be recognized in other parts of who you are.

Reduces shame and guilt

Self-compassion teaches us acceptance in our entire selves. Not to mention, once you learn how to lean into self compassion, you will naturally feel less shame and guilt.

Tips on how to practice self-compassion

 

Be kind to yourself

Validate your emotions and offer yourself patience. When struggling, talk to yourself as if you were talking to a close friend or family member. Do not minimize or belittle yourself when you are struggling with a feeling or emotion in your day.

Practice mindfulness

This skill helps us to slow down the rapid fire of thoughts and adjust if they are unhealthy. Focus on your breathing and gently acknowledge anxious thoughts. Daily mindfulness practice is shown to increase emotional wellness.

Treat yourself well

Are you giving yourself time to rest and recover? Or possibly you may need an activity that is soothing to your body. Take a bath, go dancing, stretch for 30 minutes, or listen to music.

Practice Daily Affirmations

Remind yourself of the things you are appreciating of yourself. What ways have you made yourself proud? What things have you accomplished, big or small, that pleases you. Remember that you’re capable of changing how you feel and that your self-worth comes from within!

---

Self-Compassion is an Antidote to Anxious Moments

Above all else, remember that your care and love of yourself helps to extinguish the powerful hold anxious emotions can have on you. Your therapist will work with you on additional strategies as well, but these are tips and tricks that you yourself can use every day to support your emotions that much more!

 

Request Counseling Support