Author: P.S. Bartlett

We have been dealing with a scary medical emergency in our family this week.  My father-in-law had a subdural hematoma that led to a trip to the hospital and surgery.  

I am happy to report that he is progressing at a remarkable pace, and we are optimistic that he will make a full recovery.

Extended time spent in a hospital affords you with ample opportunities to witness people acting their best in the face of some of the worst circumstances.  

I was fortunate to observe and interact with ICU nurses who executed their duties with efficiency and empathy.  The neurosurgeon who performed the surgery was skilled and compassionate in equal measure.  The surgical liaison who provided us with updates from the operating room started to cry as she saw me cry with relief after finding out the surgery was a success, sharing in a life-changing moment.

When faced…

When we’re frustrated with others, or feeling bad about ourselves … we often turn toward habits that comfort us:

• distractions
• food
• shopping
• smoking
• drugs/alcohol

These don’t often work, because they tend to make us feel worse in the long run. We become unhappier, more stressed, and then need to seek comfort in these things again … and the cycle continues.These are sometimes the only ways we know of comforting ourselves! I know this because for a long time I always turned to all of the above for comfort when I was feeling stressed or bad about myself. It made me very unhealthy and it took a long time to change my patterns.Today I’d like to suggest a method of self-compassion that I’ve been learning, that has worked wonders.

The Self-Compassion Method

Try this now if you’re feeling stressed, frustrated, in pain, disappointed, angry, anxious, worried, or depressed:

1. Notice

“So one of the students came with her kid, because she didn’t have a babysitter. The kid starts to cry in the middle of the class, so his mom, all embarrassed gets up to leave, and the professor took the kid from her, calmed him  and continued teaching.”

by ~ justagreatdude

Clearly this is a man who knows the little boy’s mother is doing everything she can to better her and her child’s future. Good for him!

Share Kindness Blog’s content using the social media buttons below.