Expert advice
Smriti Joshi is a practicing mental health therapist and the lead psychologist at Wysa, an app offering AI-driven mental health support. wysa.io
Dr Vanessa Waller is an associate professor at ARU Peterborough, a registered nurse, and a nurse educator with a special focus on self-compassion.aru.ac.uk
Jo Warwick is a psychotherapist, business coach, energy healer, and the author of The Big Book Of Love (Nielsen, £19.99). jowarwick.com
You will spend more time with you than anyone else in life, but when did you last stop to think about the type of relationship you have with yourself? Is it kind and respectful, or is it harsh, intolerant and unforgiving? Likely you are a compassionate person who would show kindness and understanding to others in need, but the chances are you’re a whole lot less compassionate with yourself.
And the trouble is, when you feel like you’re not good enough or you look bad, or you feel overwhelmed and frustrated because you haven’t done anything for yourself in ages, that will impact everything, from how you behave to how well you do your job or how patient you are with others. Self-compassion is recognised to be a key factor in our emotional
