OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY

Valenzuela City • Quezon City • Antipolo City • Cabanatuan • Pampanga

Veritas et Misericordia

Name: ___________________________________________ Date: __________________

Program: _________________________________________ Section: ________________

Week 8: Self-Compassion and Self-Kindness

INTRODUCTION

In this module, the attention is given to applying the feelings such as warmth, tenderness, concern,
acceptance, and gratitude towards oneself. This is a crucial step in the cultivation of compassion to an
individual. If a person would be able to recognize and connect with his/her own feelings and needs and
foster the process of connecting to others with compassion, it can become a basis for cultivating genuine
compassion for others as well.

This module focuses on genuine self-care and greater self- acceptance that encourage us to develop a
mature sense of compassion by cultivating a caring, careful and honest relationship with a persons’ own
direct experience.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the end of this module, students are expected to:
1. Discuss what self-compassion is
2. Elaborate the three components of self-compassion
3. Demonstrate self-compassion and self-kindness in everyday living

MODULE LESSON

Self-compassion – is where we take care of ourselves in response with a persons’ own suffering and trials.
Taking care of ourselves gives us the capacity to take care of others.

Three components of self-compassion:

1. Self-kindness - With self-kindness, however, we are supportive and understanding toward
ourselves. Our inner dialogues are gentle and encouraging rather than harsh and belittling. This
means that instead of continually punishing ourselves for not being good enough, we kindly
acknowledge that we’re doing the best we can
2. Common Humanity - The sense of common humanity central to self-compassion involves
recognizing that everyone fails, makes mistakes, and gets it wrong sometimes
3. Mindfulness - Self-compassion entails mindful awareness of our negative thoughts and emotions
so that they are approached with balance and equanimity. When we are mindful, we are
experientially open to the reality of the present moment without judgment, avoidance, or repression
(Bishop et al., 2004)

MODULE ACTIVITIES

A. EXPLORING SELF-COMPASSION THROUGH WRITING

Instructions

Part 1: What imperfections make you feel inadequate as an individual?

- Try writing some issues that you have on yourself (physical appearance, behavior, relationship,
etc.) that makes you self-pity or feel bad about yourself. What do you feel when you think about
these issues on your life? Internalize and focus on that feeling.
 OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
Valenzuela City • Quezon City • Antipolo City • Cabanatuan • Pampanga

Veritas et Misericordia

______my imperfections that makes me feel inadequate as an individual like in my behavior sometimes I

am less confident and sometimes I feel sad or makes me feel worthless because __ I thought my best

wasn’t good enough

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____\

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Part 2: Write a letter to yourself as if you were a friend who unconditionally loves

- Imagine yourself as a friend who sees your flaws or inadequacy that you’ve written in the first part
of the activity. As a friend, you could relate to whatever issues that you have. What would you say
to your friend regarding the concerns showing much compassion? How would this friend tell you
that he/she could relate to you? What would this friend tell you as a human being with his/her own
strengths and weaknesses? What would this friend suggest that you do to change your perspective
of the issues?

Write your letter here.

Breaking the right set of rules which don’t work for you can set you free to do
something you truly love and are passionate about. Sometimes it can be hard to
get started on the path you really want to be on but I believe in you only you
can know that you need to be happy and above all else you deserved to be
happy
 OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
Valenzuela City • Quezon City • Antipolo City • Cabanatuan • Pampanga

Veritas et Misericordia

CLOSURE

Journal Writing

After writing the letter, read the letter. What did you feel while and after reading the letter? Did you
feel the compassion of a friend?

________________i feel relieved and having a positive thoughts that I can do anything so confidently.

Yes I feel the compassion of a

friend.._______________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

REFERENCES

Bishop, S. R., Lau, M., Shapiro, S., Carlson, L., Anderson, N. D., Carmody, J., et al. (2004). Mindfulness: A
proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice , 11, 191-206

Cohn-Vargas, B. (2016). How to Develop the 3 Most Common Types of compassion. Sixty and Me.
Mindset
Neff, K. & Dahm, K., (2015). Self-Compassion: What it is, What it does, and how it Relate to Mindfulness.
Mindfulness and Self-Regulation. New York Springer