Examples of brief informal self-compassion practices - McMaster Textbook of Internal Medicine

Table 16.16-8. Examples of brief informal self-compassion practices
Exercise	Description
Daily self-compassion	This practice can be used at any time but is often most effective when feeling stressed, tired, or burned out. It provides physicians with permission both to acknowledge their own stress as well as to respond by addressing their own needs and taking care of themselves. How to: 1) Recognize when you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed. 2) Reflect on what it is you need during this time. 3) Respond by addressing this need and/or engaging in self-care or an activity that calms, comforts, or provides pleasure.
Using sense of touch through self-soothing	This practice serves as a reminder to be warm and kind to oneself, particularly when feeling down or struggling with trauma and suffering that physicians commonly witness. How to: 1) Adopt a soothing touch position. Placing a hand over the heart is common, but find a position that is comfortable for you. 2) Observe the sensations in your hand or body in this position. Take notice of your breath, which nourishes you when inhaling and releases tension when exhaling. 3) Continue simply noticing these sensations for a few moments.
Giving and receiving compassion	It is not uncommon for physicians to experience empathic fatigue as they repeatedly bear others’ suffering. Compassion can be a powerful antidote; however, to be effective, it needs to be provided to both the physician and the patient. Providing compassion to oneself as a health-care provider builds one’s capacity to attune to another’s suffering and provide support. Further, compassion in such situations maintains well-being, as well as fosters emotional resonance, in which two individuals are able to connect deeper emotionally. How to: Figure 4.
Reflect compassionately on work and experiences	Physicians are often highly self-critical, frequently fixating on perceived failures or inadequacies. This can perpetuate a cycle of anxiety, self-doubt, negative affect and self-esteem, and loss of meaning and satisfaction in one’s work. While it may be important to reflect on our work, particularly errors and failures, which offer valuable learning moments, it is also equally important to do so from a balanced and kind perspective. How to: Figure 5.