Every overachiever that beats themselves up because they think they need to in order to reach their goals needs to read this book. Game changing. I will be referring back to this book regularly as I work through creating new healthy habits focused on self-compassion.

This book feels life-changing for me. Lots to critique in its naive, uncritical politics, but I find the core principles of self-compassion incredibly powerful and liberating. Despite years of therapy, meditation, and meds, I’m still very hard on myself. This practice is finally bringing relief, and increasing my ability to care for others too.

1.5 stars.
As with [b:Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love|9547888|Attached The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love|Amir Levine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1311705552s/9547888.jpg|14434316], this book was lent to me by someone who found value in it and recommended I try it too. I came away with the sense that I should steer clear of the Self Help genre. I’d hate to write off a whole category of books, but I keep running into the same issues: someone with a PhD presents a “right way” to do things, wraps it copiously in a personal story, maybe makes a few appeals to various religions, and then assumes things about the reader.

My current struggles (adjusting to my sudden deafness) are very different from the author’s struggles, and so I found that I was not the right audience for much of this book. In the sections containing the author’s personal story and anecdotes, I also found many of the opinions and judgments expressed to be really problematic (very [b:Eat, Pray, Love|19501|Eat, Pray, Love|Elizabeth Gilbert|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503066414s/19501.jpg|3352398]). I found the content to be at its best when it was focused on the exercises, the science, and the explanations of what the terms mean and what the research demonstrates. I do think American culture puts a pathological emphasis on self-esteem and relentless positivity. I do agree with the basic precept that it’s healthy to practice self-compassion, which is the combination of self-kindness, mindfulness, and feeling a sense that we’re all in this together.

I like the psychology discussions and concrete examples of how self compassion works vs self esteem, but her personal life examples were not easy to listen to.

There were a few things in the book that I didn't quite agree with, but overall, it is a beneficial book that I'd recommend to anyone.

3,5✨