Compassion

Periods of hibernation both through the weather and lockdown have delivered to me, explorations in self-compassion, after pondering the fragility of humanity and the presence of palpable strong emotions.

Strong feelings of grief, anger, fear, sadness have been a daily feature, I presume as they have for you all.

Into my self-care toolbox, I go.

Hugs with loved ones at home, ensure adequate rest, hydrate well, spend time in the ocean (that is living in winter with no wetsuit!), laugh when I can, practice gratitude, meditate.

All amazing strategies for me, however when dealing with such pain and suffering, I realised I am not able to “fix” these using these tools alone.

What no fixing.. but I am a Doctor, it is what I do! My logical brain but would love too but sadly brain, as much I love and need you, the answer is no, that just gives me a headache!

Of course, just as I am reaching for the magnesium and paracetamol, along comes the seed of Self Compassion, it just sprouted somewhere.

It started with insights from the Brene Browne Podcast – Closing the stress loop, then emerged strongly on reading “You Belong” and finally Tara Brach brought it home with her RAIN practice. My new superpower is easily accessible to me and can only take a moment (some days!)

RAIN

Recognise. Notice how I am feeling. I can do this anywhere anytime if I chose to give myself the space.

Allow - try not to fix it, let it be there

Investigate - where do I feel it in my body, can I name it (often I can't and this has been a tough one for my logical brain to accept!)

Nurture with care and self-compassion- meet myself with love and a sense of being wrapped in a warm safe blanket

This may not be for everyone but if you are keen to explore, we have some of our favourite resources here for you to dive into. Of course, we are always happy to chat about your experience, when we next see you.