Having self-critical thoughts and high standards can create internal threats and imbalance in our emotion regulation systems, leading to stress. To cultivate self-compassion, we need to be aware of these critical thoughts and acknowledge our distress with empathy.

Dr Melissa Chan, a clinical psychologist from the Central Mind, led participants in mindfulness and compassionate self-soothing exercise to ground them in the present moment. She also guided them in practices to notice and better understand different parts of themselves, namely the Angry, Anxious and Sad selves. The workshop helped participants direct more attention to their bodies, thoughts and feelings, which is an important starting point for nourishing self-compassion.