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Self-compassion30 sec

The Self-Compassion Break

When / where:“I’m failing these kids” moments

Neff’s three steps for moments of difficulty.

How to practice

  1. 1

    Name it: “This is a moment of struggle” (mindfulness).

  2. 2

    “Other teachers feel this too” (common humanity).

  3. 3

    Hand on heart; offer yourself a kind phrase (self-kindness).

The evidence

Self-compassion is the keystone: in teacher RCTs, gains in self-compassion mediated reductions in burnout, anxiety, and depression (Roeser et al., 2013; Neff, 2003).