♥
Our
kindness
projectLaser-cut ‘Mum’
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Thought-provoking culture, creative ideas, insightful science and inspiring gifts
Self-compassion is a life-changing tool for new
mums, says our kindness tsar, David HamiltonJoin ‘Psychologies’ kindness tsar, David Hamilton, live on
Facebook @Psychologiesmagazine for his 30-day kindness challenge, next
on 17 March at 1pm. For access to more like this, join the ‘Psychologies’
Life Leap Club, free when you subscribe to the magazine. ‘The Little Book
Of Kindness’ by David Hamilton (Octopus, £6.99) is out nowSELF-COMPASSION is an understanding
and acknowledgment of our personal
pain and di culties which, in turn,
motivates us to genuinely care for
ourselves. Studies suggest it can make
us less self-critical and improve our overall mental health.
Research* at the Tianjin First Central Hospital in China
looked specifi cally at the e
ect of self-compassion training
on pregnant women who were showing early symptoms
of post-natal depression. The women practised mindful
self-compassion around the time of childbirth, three
months later, and then a year after the birth of their children.
Their mental health was compared with that of women in a
control group, who did not learn the practice. Women who
learned self-compassion showed signifi cant improvements
in symptoms of depression and anxiety, and both mothers
and infants showed an improvement in overall wellbeing.A MOTHER’S KINDNESS
76 %
OF PEOPLE MADE RESOLUTIONS
AT THE START OF THE YEAR, WITH
ONE IN 10 HOPING TO GO VEGAN.
STUDIES, HOWEVER, SHOW SPRING
MIGHT BE A BETTER TIME TO
MAKE LIFESTYLE GOALS STICK**
Vegetable cushions, £
each, janconstantine.comGet your weekly fi x! WANT MORE INSPIRATION, PERSONALITY TESTS AND INVITATIONS TO LIFE-CHANGING
12 PSYCHOLOGIES MAGAZINE APRIL 2020