Psychological
What if being hard on yourself is actually holding you back?
Most people assume that beating themselves up after a mistake keeps them sharp. That the inner critic is a coach pushing them to do better. But Neff's research suggests the opposite: self-criticism triggers the threat response. Your body floods with cortisol, the stress hormone. And a stressed brain doesn't learn well. It freezes up.
With self-compassion, we give ourselves the same kindness we would give to a good friend.— Kristin Neff
The full breakdown — the context, the shift, and a question to sit with — opens in the Insights app.
The thinker
Pioneer of Self-Compassion Research
Kristin Neff is an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and one of the leading researchers on self-compassion.
Based on The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self Compassion: Kristin Neff at TEDxCentennialParkWomen, summarised and reframed by Insights.
Read the full idea in InsightsFree on iPhone · Download Insights