Self Compassion on Resilience
- lifealignmenthabit
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
There are few (none?) professions more rewarding than Social work. It’s also tough work. The constant emotions flying around, high caseloads, exposure to trauma, low pay, all coupled with the hoops of limited funding. Here is where self compassion enters the chat. Self compassion is more than an agency buzzword, it’s a requisite tool for resilience helping Social Work Professionals maintain their well being and continue to show up for their clients.
When distilled down, self compassion is nothing more than giving yourself the same kindness and understanding you’d offer a friend who was having a rough go. Research shows that social workers with high level of self compassion experience significantly less stress and burnout. A systematic literature review / meta-analysis finds that Social Work Professionals report greater self compassion compared to social work students, as well as compared to the general population. Even more importantly, those with high compassion have lower levels of psychological stress.(1)
Put differently, self compassion isn’t just a nice idea, it has measurable effects on our mental health. When Social Work Professionals treat themselves with kindness as opposed to berating themselves with criticism, they’re better equipped to handle setbacks, learn from mistakes and keep moving forward.
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from challenges and self compassion plays a critical role in that process. A study on Malaysian counselors found that self compassion directly improved psychological well being and resilience acts as a bridge between the two (2). Basically, self compassion makes social workers more resilient, and that resilience strengthens overall well being.
It makes sense when you think about it. If you’re constantly chastising yourself over mistakes or tough cases, you’ll end up overwhelmed. But, when you approach challenges with self kindness and a mindset focused on growth, we’re more likely to recover rapidly and keep moving ahead.
If self compassion is the secret sauce of resilience, then a growth mindset is the mop that applies it. The great and powerful Carol Dweck, known for her work on growth vs fixed mindsets, explains that embracing challenge and learning from failure are key to success. “Fail early, fail often, succeed sooner.”(3)
For Helping Professionals, adopting this mindset means reframing struggles as learning opportunities. So a session didn’t go as we planned, or client refused help...instead of internalizing those as failures and catastrophizing things, view them as part of the growth process. Reappraisal will make all the difference.
Foundational strategies to cultivate self compassion
Self check in: Take a few moments each day to check in with yourself. How are you feeling? What do you need to do for yourself and your clients right now?
Reframe negative self talk. Fire your inner evil caddie. Instead of thinking “I’m terrible at this,” say “I’m haven’t gotten this 100% figure out YET”.
Stay mindful. A few minutes of box breathing or meditation will help stack the loose change in your head and relieve some stress.
Set healthy boundaries. We have to protect our time and energy. It isn’t selfish. When you need a break, say “No.” without feeling guilt.
Social work will always be minefield of challenges, but building resilience through self compassion can be a map to help us navigate that field. When we treat ourselves with kindness, adopt a growth mindset, and set healthy boundaries, we protect our own well being so we can continue to make the most positive impact on the lives or our clients.
Sources:
1) Sessions L, Robertson N, Jones C, Welham A. Self-Compassion in Qualified and Student Social Workers: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis. J Evid Based Soc Work (2019). 2025 Jan-Feb;22(1):76-103. doi: 10.1080/26408066.2024.2439267. Epub 2024 Dec 18. PMID: 39696732.
2) Voon SP, Lau PL, Leong KE, Jaafar JLS. Self-Compassion and Psychological Well-Being Among Malaysian Counselors: The Mediating Role of Resilience. Asia-Pacific Edu Res. 2022;31(4):475–88. doi: 10.1007/s40299-021-00590-w. Epub 2021 May 20. PMCID: PMC8136108.
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