Try: How would you treat a friend?

Time required

15 minutes

How to do it

Take out a sheet of paper or open a blank note on your device and go through the following steps.

1. First, think about times when a close friend feels really bad about him- or herself or is really struggling in some way. How do you respond to your friend in these situations (if you’re at your best)? Write down what you typically do and say, and note the tone in which you talk to your friend.
2. Now think about times when you feel bad about yourself or are struggling. How do you typically respond to yourself in these situations? Please write down what you typically do and say, and note the tone in which you talk to yourself.
3. Did you notice a difference? If so, ask yourself why. What factors or fears come into play that lead you to treat yourself and others so differently?
4. Write down how you think things might change if you responded to yourself when you’re suffering in the same way you typically respond to a close friend.
5. Next time you are struggling with something, try treating yourself like a good friend and see what happens.

Why you should try it

People are usually harder on themselves than they are on others. This often makes a mistake or stressful situation even more stressful.

This exercise asks you to notice the differences between the way you typically treat the people you care about and the way you typically treat yourself. It also asks you to consider why there may be differences between the two, and to contemplate what would happen if you treated yourself as compassionately as you treat others. Research suggests that treating yourself more compassionately can benefit your physical and mental health. 

The way people treat themselves is shaped in part by how others have treated them, but it can also be influenced by how they treat others. Because people often find it more natural to be compassionate toward others than to be compassionate toward themselves in a challenging situation, one way to increase self-compassion is to imagine what one would say to a friend in a similar position, then direct those same sentiments toward oneself.

Reflecting on how kind you are capable of being toward others can remind you that you are also capable of being kind toward yourself. By treating yourself with this kind of understanding you help yourself bounce back from challenging situations with greater resilience.