What Can You Expect?

By Dr. Georgina Robinson

Sample Activities from Mindful Self Compassion Practice/Making Friends with Yourself

To give you a sense of some of what sorts of the activities you might experience in the MSC or MFY programs, you may want to try some of these samples. 

How would you treat a friend?

Think about the following scenarios. Try to bring to mind as many details as you can. Perhaps read the instructions, and then close your eyes to envision the scenario. At each pause, using a pen and paper, jot down your reactions.

  1. Think about a time when a close friend felt really bad about him or herself or was really struggling in some way. Maybe your friend made a mistake or did something they feel bad about. 

How would you respond to your friend in this situation (especially when you’re at your best)? What would you typically do and say? What kind of tone of voice would you use? What body language or gestures would you use? 

Pause, then write down how you respond to a friend

  1. Now think about a time or times when you felt bad about yourself or were struggling. Maybe you made a mistake or did something you feel bad about. 

How do you typically respond to yourself in these situations? What do you typically do and say? What kind of tone of voice do use? What body language and gestures do you use towards yourself?  

Pause, then write down how you respond to yourself

Now consider this:

Did you notice any differences in patterns of how you treat a friend who is struggling compared to how you treat yourself? 

If so, ask yourself, “why?” 

Pause, then write down any differences you noticed

How do you think things might change if you responded to yourself in the same way you typically respond to a close friend when you’re suffering?

Why not try treating yourself like a good friend and see what happens?

Pause, then write down any final reflections 

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Author: mindful