BY: CAROLINE ROLF

Compassion is the ability to show love, empathy and concern to people who are facing a difficulty, and self-compassion is simply the ability to turn that understanding and love inward and accept oneself. Even the most compassionate people may find it hard to extend the same compassion toward themselves. This may be out of fear of engaging in self-indulgence or self-pity. In truth, self-compassion can help relieve a variety of mental health concerns, like anxiety, and lead to achieving emotional well-being. Self-compassion can be developed through a variety of exercises, therapy and practice. It can be helpful to frame the self-criticism as advice that might be given to a friend – if the words are too harsh for them, they are too harsh for the self.

Here is an exercise in how to lessen the voices of self-flagellation. Written by Alain De Botton and directed by Joe Bichard, this animated short invites its viewers to give themselves a break. With a rainbow colour palette and simple line work, the story and humour shine through in the protagonist’s interactions with the people around her and the demons inside. Let it be a reminder that it is all too easy to be extremely harsh towards ourselves; we need – at times – to get better at self-compassion.

“Because depression and self-hatred are serious enemies of a good life, we need to appreciate the role of self-care in a good, ambitious and fruitful life.”