A positive self-image is important, but according to a new study from Duke and Wake Forest Universities, a better measure of good mental health is self-compassion, or the ability to treat yourself kindly. “People with this trait accept everyday disappointments as a natural part of life,” says lead author Mark R. Leary, Ph.D. The next time you’re tempted to be hard on yourself, think of how you’d respond to a friend in the same boat; then treat yourself in kind.
Source: Shape, September 2007
Filed under: happiness
