One of life's undeniable truths is that you will face failures. How one deals with these failures depends on, besides other factors, your compassion toward yourself and your mindset to adapt to failures. In this context, self-compassion and having a growth mindset help you overcome your harsh inner critic, especially when failures make you judge yourself critically, or feel ashamed, or blame yourself. This article talks about how to use these tools in these situations. Self-Compassion Put simply, self-compassion is compassion turned inwards, i.e., how you relate to yourself in instances of perceived failure, inadequacy, or personal suffering. The three components of the compassionate frame of mind are self-kindness, a sense of common humanity, and mindfulness (Neff, 2011). Let’s consider the following situation to illustrate how you can use three components to deal with an adversity that makes you critical about yourself. You couldn’t meet a deadline at work despite your best eff
Written by a board-certified psychiatrist and an expert on self-management of depression, Harpreet Duggal, MD, this blog focuses on practical and proven methods of treating depression that go beyond medications and traditional therapy. It discusses elements of healthy lifestyle, positive psychology, relationships, values, strengths, communication, and wellness. No AI-assisted technology has been used in this blog. The content of the blog is not to be construed as treatment advice.