40. Self-Compassion with Special Guest Dr. Steven Hickman

In today's episode, Dr. Ni-Cheng Liang interviews special guest, Dr. Steven Hickman, psychologist, internationally renowned mindfulness and mindful self-compassion teacher, and now author of his new book, Self-Compassion for Dummies. Steve is the Founding Executive Director of the UCSD Center for Mindfulness and is the Executive Director of the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion.  The definitions of empathy, compassion, and self-compassion are covered. Self-compassion as defined by Dr. Kristin Neff, includes mindfulness, common humanity, and kindness towards self.  Steve provides insights on how self-compassion can be used to move us through the heightened stressors and difficult emotions that many, especially healthcare professionals, are experiencing currently.  He reminds us of our shared common humanity and how we can tap into that fact as a way to connect with others, even those who disagree with us.  He offers the statement from the Mindful Self-Compassion curriculum: "Everyone is on their own life journey I am not the cause of this person's suffering, nor is it entirely within my power to make it go away even though I wish I could. Moments like these can be difficult to bear, yet I may still try to help if I can."  The Mindful Moment offering is the Self-Compassion Break, to be used in moments of difficulty.    You can get a copy of Self-Compassion for Dummies here https://bookshop.org/books/self-compassion-for-dummies/9781119796688 or at any major book seller.  For more on Mindful-Self Compassion: https://centerformsc.org And Dr. Kristin Neff's website:  https://self-compassion.org   For more mindfulness resources please join us at https://mindfulhealthcarecollective.com where we continue to provide free weekly wellness offerings.