Compassion
- Compassion means “To suffer with”
- You feel warmth, caring and the desire to help a suffering person in some way
Self-compassion
- Giving yourself the same care and kindness you’d give to others
- Instead of just disregarding your pain with a “stiff upper lip” mentality, you stop to tell yourself “I’m struggling right now, how can I comfort and care for myself in this moment?”
- Honouring and accepting your humanness
- The more you open your heart to the reality that pain/struggle/failure exists, the more you will be able to feel compassion for yourself and others
- Plays a promising role in providing novel, safe and effective complementary pain reduction and management strategies as part of a biopsychosocial approach to pain care
When you’re in a moment of suffering/struggle, give the following a try:
Mindfulness
- Notice, acknowledge and accept that you are in a moment of suffering
- Become aware of the breath, the general state of the body, energy level and any judgements the mind is creating
The Humanity Connection
- Recognize you are not alone in this
- Repeat this mantra: Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu – meaning “May the whole world attain peace and harmony.”
- This chant helps create a greater capacity for love to all sentient beings and harmoniously connects you with humanity
Kindness
- Extend kindness towards yourself through karuna mudra, a yoga hand mudra conveying a gesture of compassion
- Cup the hands and place them in an asymmetrical prayer position
- As you breathe in, imagine the breath is softening the area around your heart, and repeat silently to yourself, “It’s OK.”
- As you breathe out, imagine letting go of any tension around the heart and repeat, “This is enough,” in a tone that is patient, soothing and forgiving
- Repeat this for a few slow breaths
- Use whatever mantra/affirmation provides you with a sense of kindness and self-love
Source: Yoga and Science in Pain Care: Treating the Person in Pain
Self-Care
- Prioritizing yourself and taking good care of yourself is vital, but it becomes even more important when you live with extra challenges like chronic pain conditions
- Doing all you can to help yourself by making good choices and being active in doing things that improve your life and help you function
- This can help you to gain confidence, especially as you see the positive results of your actions on improving your mood and quality of life
3 Areas that Involve Self-Care
| Area | Focus | Self-Care Activities |
| Physical Condition |
Managing your symptoms and ensuring you’re doing all you can to minimize them |
|
| Everyday Tasks |
Doing all you can to maintain a healthy routine |
|
| Mental Health |
Understanding that your illness does not define you and disallowing your symptoms to hold you back |
|