04/12/2025
Many of us find it easy to show kindness to others but when it comes to ourselves, we can be our own harshest critic. Self-compassion isn’t about letting ourselves “off the hook” or pretending everything is fine. It’s about meeting our struggles with the same understanding, care, and patience we’d naturally offer someone we love and care about.
Self-compassion is so important and here is why.
It calms the nervous system when
we judge or criticise ourselves, the brain responds as if we’re under threat. This activates stress responses that make it harder to think clearly or feel grounded. Self-compassion sends the opposite signal one of safety. Approaching ourselves with gentleness helps the body settle, making space for healing.
This is one reason techniques like Havening are so powerful, they soothe the nervous system and support emotional regulation.
Self-compassion builds emotional resilience and helps us cope more effectively with difficult feelings. Instead of pushing emotions away or getting overwhelmed by them, we can acknowledge what we’re experiencing without adding extra layers of shame or self-criticism. That softening creates room for clarity, choice, and change.
It encourages healthy growth people
often believe that being tough on themselves will motivate them but research shows the opposite. Harsh self-talk increases stress and avoidance, while compassionate self-talk supports learning and moving forward. We grow more easily when we feel safe, supported, and understood, especially by ourselves.
It deepens connection when we offer ourselves compassion, we naturally become more patient and understanding with others too. It enhances empathy, strengthens relationships, and reminds us that being human means having ups and downs.
It helps integrate healing whether working through past experiences, stress, or emotional blocks, self-compassion creates the internal environment needed for change. It supports the brain in forming new, healthier patterns, something Havening and other therapeutic approaches build on beautifully.
