People With Higher Levels of Self-Compassion Are Less Bored

A new study suggests that people who experience a high sense of compassion for themselves are less inclined to feel bored compared to others.

Take two minutes to read, explore, and reflect. By Wendy Rose Gould & Amy Morin, LCSW, Editor-in-Chief Top of Mind The Link Between Self-Compassion and Less Boredom We're all apt to get bored here and there, but some of us tend to experience that feeling more than others. Interestingly, a recent study suggests that people who experience a high sense of compassion for themselves are less inclined to feel bored compared to others. The idea is that when we practice self-compassion, it helps us find more meaning in life which, in turn, strengthens our self-worth and feelings of connectedness to the world and those around us.   The research rolled three different studies into one. The first was a pilot study that involved 49 undergraduate students and the second used Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform to examine 265 participants. The third involved 191 participants.    Each examined both dispositional self-compassion (a person's general tendency to be compassionate towards themselves) and state self-compassion (a person's level of self-compassion at that particular moment). The studies also examined how likely a participant was to experience boredom in general and at particular moments in time. Chronic boredom, often referred to as 'boredom proneness', is linked to many negative outcomes for the individual and society at large," — MUIREANN O'DEA, PHD   What This Means For You This research gives credence to practicing self-compassion. Not only is it beneficial to do so for our overall mental health and well-being, but it may also help reduce feelings of boredom and increase feelings of life satisfaction.   There are many ways to practice self-compassion. This includes minimizing negative thoughts about ourselves and the world, practicing gratitude, reframing experiences and looking for the good in them, taking time to practice self-care, and giving ourselves space to be human.    On the Bright Side Ways to Stay Positive This Week What's Inspiring Us Psychologist Rick Hanson, PhD, hosts the BeWell Podcast. He's also created a free, eight-week series titled "The Power of Self-Compassion" alongside Dr. Kristin Neff, professor of human development and author of "Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind." The series explores effective ways to change your brain, heart, and life through self-love. Products to Help You Feel Your Best Cyndie Spiegel's "A Year of Positive Thinking: Daily Inspiration, Wisdom, and Courage" helps us improve our self-compassion by focusing on the good around us. It features one simple positivity prompt per day. Cultivate a more positive mindset with the "30-Day Gratitude Journal" from BestSelf. This journal helps you develop the life-changing habit of finding joy in the small things, which can help boost happiness and strengthen self-esteem and self-compassion. We also recommend these 10 gratitude journals for a great five-minute ritual to boost your happiness. Read These Next Self-Compassion Exercises to Boost Your Happiness READ NOW How to Connect With People READ NOW 7 Tips for Finding Your Purpose in Life READ NOW Spread the Light Share the newsletter with someone you know to make their day a little brighter. SHARE We're open to suggestions! If you have any feedback about this newsletter, let us know at feedback@verywell.com. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Healthy Mind newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here. If someone forwarded you this email, you can subscribe here!   A DOTDASH MEREDITH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10005   © 2022 Verywellmind.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy