Self-compassion is defined as the ability to treat oneself with kindness and understanding, as one would a dear friend in trouble. It involves being forgiving of one's own mistakes, recognizing that challenges are part of the human experience, and remaining aware of one's emotions without judgment.
This attitude plays an important role in reducing stress and improving emotional regulation. Indeed, recent research indicates that self-compassion can reduce stress symptoms by promoting a gentler response to setbacks and facilitating a more balanced management of negative emotions.
A study using structural equation models, a sophisticated method for analyzing relationships between different variables, shows that self-compassion indirectly influences stress by improving emotional regulation.
Emotion regulation and stress management, while connected, differ in their approaches: emotion regulation focuses on the internal management of positive and negative feelings, while stress management deals with coping with external problems. These processes use common brain structures, such as the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala, whose functioning can vary with age and life experiences.
Emotion regulation and stress management abilities are also influenced by genetic factors, such as genes associated with serotonin, as well as environmental factors, such as family support and stressful experiences. Neurobiological research and longitudinal studies show how these abilities evolve over time.
By combining self-compassion with an in-depth understanding of neural mechanisms and genetic and environmental influences, it is possible to enhance emotional regulation and stress management, leading to an overall improvement in psychological well-being. This suggests that interventions incorporating self-compassion could offer particularly effective solutions for improving emotional regulation and managing stress more effectively.
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