Practicing compassion, for ourselves, others and the world around us

Compassion

What compassion is, how it works and what impacts it has, is a topic of interest for researchers around the world. The Compassionate Mind Research Group at the University of Queensland in Australia promotes wellbeing through understanding and applying compassion.

Here we introduce some of their findings, and share how Hapus supports compassion for ourselves, others and the world around us.

What is compassion?

There is a long history to exploring the idea of compassion. It is central to many religions and philosophies.

Compassion has been defined as “the sensitivity to suffering in self and others, with a commitment to try and alleviate or prevent it”. [i]

It is different from kindness, which is about our behaviour and actions, gestures motivated by genuine warm feelings for others. [ii] And is different from empathy, which is about how we understand the emotions and perspectives of others.

Compassion requires us to engage with hardship and distress, and be motivated to do something about it.

Some acts of kindness may come from a place of compassion, especially in difficult times.[iii]

Compassion can be developed through learning. People can improve their self- compassion, and compassion for others by expanding skills in areas including awareness and communication. [iv]

Self-compassion

Self-compassion means understanding our own distress, and finding a way to respond to ourselves, or seek help, when we face difficult times. It is about self-kindness instead of self-judgement. [v]

Self-compassion, has many benefits for us as individuals. It can help protect us from self-criticism and negativity, leading to improved mental health and wellbeing. [vi] It is also associated with better physical health, and health-promoting behaviours including healthy eating, exercise and good quality sleep. [vii]

There are also indications that developing greater self-compassion can lead to greater compassion for others and the world around us.

Compassion for others

How we are able to prioritise others is affected by the circumstances we are in, and the world around us, and can change over time. [viii]

Increasing compassion in our lives can lead to better community cohesion and positive action for our planet.

A recent study has shown that training in compassion can increase people’s moral concern over time for other humans, including strangers and stigmatised groups, animals, and the environment. [ix] Moral concerns refers to both how much we think things are worth our attention and how responsible we feel for supporting and protecting them.

The research showed that immediately after the training, participants showed more moral concern towards their family, friends and respected individuals. However, 3 months after the training these positive feelings had increased and expanded to those stigmatised in society, criminals, animals, plants and the natural environment.

When people thought that developing self-compassion was helpful, they were more likely to improve compassion towards others.

What can I do?

Feeling connected to ourselves, others and the world around us supports compassion, protects and improves mental wellbeing.

Connecting with ourselves: Being able to notice and understand our thoughts and feelings is an important step in being compassionate towards ourselves and accepting who we are. Learn more about how you can take action to connect with yourself here Our thoughts and feelings – Hapus

Connecting with others: Collective life in a community, where people come together and treat each other with compassion is good for mental wellbeing. Find tools and inspiration to help you connect with others here Connections – Hapus

Connecting with the world around us: There is strong evidence that shows how we experience the natural environment and connect with the world around us is related to mental wellbeing. Explore ideas for connecting to nature and the wider world here Nature – Hapus