Self-Compassion Exercise

By Tchiki Davis, MA, PhD
Do you get down on yourself? Do you have a hard time seeing your good qualities? Thens check out this self-compassion exercise. It can help you start being a bit kinder to yourself.
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I want to emphasize just how important it is to accept yourself when you don’t meet your goals or expectations. No one is perfect. The ability to accept yourself, non-judgmentally, is key to having optimal well-being. By being compassionate with yourself, you can better cope with stress in your life and push through difficulties that you encounter.

Activity: Self-Compassion

Often, we are harder on ourselves than we are on anyone else. So for this activity, you will be asked to write a compassionate letter to yourself. Imagine that you are talking to yourself like you would talk to a young child. Be accepting and compassionate. Keep in mind how would you reassure this child that he/she is a valuable, worthwhile, and beautiful human being?

​In this letter, just be sure to write to yourself in a way that is compassionate and caring.
    ​Note. Submitting your responses enables us to better understand how people express self-compassion. If you want to keep your responses, you'll have to save to PDF or print this page. Thanks!

How did people show self-compassion?

Thank you to everyone who submitted your responses to this activity! We can now share some self-compassionate statements that people used to make themselves feel better.

Here are some great ways people were self-compassionate:
  • You are a beautiful person.
  • You are worthy.
  • You are deserving of love.
  • You are loved.
  • No matter what you choose to do in life, it's okay.
  • You are amazing.
  • You are talented.
  • You are perfect just the way you are.
  • Don't let anyone bring you down.
  • I believe in you.
  • Hang in there buddy.
  • It's going to be okay.
  • You are strong.
  • You can be anything you want to be.

Next time you practice self-compassion, feel free to use these statements to really remind yourself that you're awesome.

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About Dr. Tchiki Davis
Dr. Davis is founder of The Berkeley Well-Being Institute. After getting her PhD in psychology at Berkeley, she started creating online content & programs to boost well-being—some of these have reached more than a million people. As author of Outsmart Your Smartphone, and contributor to Psychology Today, The Greater Good Science Center, and Shine Text, Dr. Davis aims to share her insights on happiness & health with people all across the world. Learn more about Dr. Davis.
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