[14] Being more Compassionate

One Line Summary: Practices to be more compassionate with your environment.

One Paragraph Summary:

Being more compassionate starts with yourself. How kind are you to yourself? How helpful you are to yourself? Once you love, respect and support yourself, then you can start putting the focus on others and support them as well. You want to be an excellent communicator, detector of emotions (on yourself and others) and an action taker (what can you do to help?).

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What is Compassion

Difference between Sympathy, Empathy and Compassion. These terms are normally confused and the following definitions clarify this matter.

• Sympathy?means you can understand what the person?is?feeling.?
• Empathy is viscerally feeling what another feels.
• Compassion is?the willingness to relieve the suffering of another.

? (Edwards, 2021)

10 Ways to Be Compassionate with Others

You can practice showing compassion by first ignoring differences and finding commonalities, which will help you relate to what someone else is going through. Whether you're interacting with a friend, colleague, peer, patient, or family member, here are some tips on how to show compassion.

1.?????Start with yourself. The best way to learn how to be compassionate toward others is to be compassionate with yourself. You can’t learn to truly love others until you learn to love yourself. For instance, you can practice Self-Kindness to be gentle with yourself (e.g. positive self-talk, eating healthy food, taking time off, etc.) and mindfulness and just being in the present moment.

2.?????Communicate Verbally and Nonverbally. Communication goes way beyond our words. One of the best ways of showing compassion is to use nonverbal cues to communicate that you care. Make eye contact, keep your body turned toward the person speaking, and listen quietly. Practice active listening, which involves paraphrasing what you’ve just heard, and asking open-ended questions.

3.?????Touch (If Appropriate). A gentle touch goes a long way. In fact, there is a wealth of research showing that physical touch (like a hug or pat on the hand) activates a part of our brain and can influence our reactions, thoughts, and physical responses. Touch is calming and is a great way to show someone you care.

4.?????Encourage Others. Sometimes all it takes is a little encouragement to show someone what they’re capable of. If someone you know is feeling down, one of the best ways of showing compassion is by offering encouraging words.

5.?????Express Yourself. Many people need to be listened to when they’re going through difficulties. Let the other person express themselves without imposing your beliefs or trying to fix their troubles for them. But feel free to express your own emotions too. Though the other person probably wants to vent, they also want to connect. And one of the best ways of connecting is by showing your emotions.

6.?????Show Kindness. One of the best things to show compassion is by showing kindness. Give your kindness away without expecting anything back. Kindness is contagious.

7.?????Respect Privacy. How do you develop compassion for others who don’t seem to want your help? Sometimes, the best thing you can do is respect the privacy of others. Offering your support is oftentimes all you need to do to show you care.

8.?????Learn How to Advocate. An advocate is a person who speaks up for and defends the rights of another person, helping them communicate their needs in a challenging situation.

9.?????Volunteer. One of the best ways to cultivate compassion is through volunteer service. Volunteering connects you to others. Spending time helping people is good for your body, mind, and soul.

10.?Consider Your Words. When you’re looking for ways to show compassion, always remember to think before you speak. It’s easy to start rambling and say things you might regret.

What other ways do you come up with to be more compassionate?

References and/or Recommended Resources:

• Edwards, V. V. (2021, January 11). 10 Powerful Tips You Can Use to Practice Self-Compassion. Science of People. https://www.scienceofpeople.com/self-compassion/