Self-Compassion as A Tool for Justice

In our polarized country, I don’t often see the term ‘self-compassion’ shared as a key tool for advancing equity. Yet, self-compassion is critical for anyone with a privileged identity (white, male, heterosexual, cisgender, people without disabilities, Christian, US citizens, etc) who ASPIRES to be an ally for anyone with marginalized identities (BIPOC, female, queer, trans, disabled, etc).

Here’s why. Self-compassion:

Helps us own our biases. When we practice self-compassion, we are more likely to engage in honest self-reflection about our own biases and how they contribute to systemic inequalities.

Disrupts subconscious superiority. We can’t extend true compassion to others if we aren’t able to feel it toward ourselves. If you think you ARE able to feel compassion for others while being deeply mean to yourself, check in with yourself–you may actually be feeling pity for others, which is rooted in superiority.

Keeps us showing up. Ever heard of (or been) a deeply dedicated social justice advocate who’s completely burned out and now only wants to watch reality TV replays every day? Self-compassion increases our resiliency to sustain in this important work.

Reduces harm. Without self-compassion, we default to defensiveness, shame and blame (which often create harm for folx with marginalized identities). When we are kind to ourselves despite our mistakes, we are more willing to take accountability and learn from them. Over time, this leads to causing less harm to people with marginalized identities.

Impacts those around us. Betterup’s research shows that, in addition to a slew of benefits for the individual practicing self-compassion (less stress, lower burnout, more resilience), LEADERS who practice it increase belonging on their teams by 150%, increase team performance by 50% and reduce turnover!

If you believe in justice and equity and hold at least ONE privileged identity, make practicing self-compassion a priority. If you need help figuring out how to start, hop on a 15-min call with me to assess your current level of self-compassion and a next step to deepen your self-compassion.