We’re continuing our conversation on self-compassion and ADHD with a walk through the garden of shame. You know that garden, the one with the plants we nourish and carry with us, the blooms we sniff regularly, all laced with the poison of regret and self-doubt. This week, we’re tearing up that soil.
The conversation starts with a recap of concepts from The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer, as well as Neff’s TEDxTalk, “The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self Compassion.”. Quick reminder of the three core elements presented by Neff and Germer:
- Self-Kindness
- Common Humanity
- Mindfulness
The biggest challenge to overcome, which we seem to struggle with universally, is the idea that just letting go of negative feelings is hard. You can’t just read that in a book or hear it in a podcast and suddenly do it. But more important than that: it’s ok for it to be hard to find yourself underneath all the shame. You’re in there. And as long as you keep talking about it, one day you’ll get there.