Your daily adult tube feed all in one place!
How reciting positive affirmations and practicing 'compassionate touch' for just 20 seconds a day can improve mental health
It turns out, speaking kindly to yourself for even less than a minute a day could boost your mental health.
Researchers from the University of California Berkeley recruited more than 100 people to test if self-compassionate touch, which involves placing your hands on your chest, could improve mental health.
This also included repeating statements like 'How can I be a friend to myself at this moment' to banish fear and self-doubt.
Eli Susman, study author, described the exercise as 'a practice of being a caring friend to yourself when reflecting on moments that evoke being hard on yourself.'
One group of participants was asked to practice the exercises for at least 20 seconds every day for one month.
Results showed those who did had greater self-compassion, emotional well-being, and reduced stress compared to those who did not.
The researchers said their 'findings are the first to our knowledge to show that daily self-compassionate touch can increase self-compassion.'
The researchers found that those who did daily positive affirmations had greater self-compassion, emotional well-being, and reduced stress compared to those who did not
The study involved 135 college students at UC Berkeley who were over the age of 18. The average participant age was 21, and 69 percent of the students were female.
The 'micropractices' were meant to be easy and an alternative to the current self-compassion therapies, which can be time intensive - ranging from one to 20 hours of learning the technique and then an additional 2.5 to 40 hours of practicing it.
Susman told Fox News Digital the students were given the following instructions: 'You’re invited to allow your eyes to close.
'Bringing to mind a recent mistake, or a failure or something about yourself that has been bothering you lately, or has made you feel unworthy, unloved, or not enough.
'And notice what arises in your body as you bring this to mind... sending kindness and warmth to yourself by bringing one hand to your belly and the other to your chest with the energy of giving yourself a hug... allow yourself to embrace what arises in your body.
A psychologist has shared her four tips to give you the best chance of becoming happy.
'You're invited to ask yourself, "How can I be a friend to myself in this moment?"… and when you’re ready you may open your eyes.'
The team found that those who did daily positive affirmations had greater self-compassion, emotional well-being, and reduced stress compared to those who did not.
And mental health improved even greater the more often participants practiced self-compassionate speak and touch.
There has been accumulated evidence that high self-compassion is associated with multiple positive outcomes, including better mood and reduced stress, the study said.
However, the California researchers said they believe their newest findings show that daily self-compassionate touch can also increase self-compassion.
The researchers acknowledged the study's limitations, including that the team did not tell people how many times to do the affirmations beyond the minimum.
Additionally, the study had a small sample size and consisted only of college students.
'The effects were practice-dependent — those who did not practice often did not improve,' Susman said.
He noted additional research is needed with more varied populations and that these 'micropractices' should not be substituted for mental health care like therapy and medication for those who need it.
The study was published in the April 2024 edition of Behavior Research and Therapy.