Mindfulness Self Compassion

MINDFULNESSSELF-COMPASSIONPERFECTIONISM

Christina Corcoran

Do I really need to meditate to be good at self-compassion?

The answer is no, but it can't hurt.

Meditation intimidates me. Perhaps it is my fear of doing it wrong. Maybe I don't believe it works. Could be I'm afraid to have one more thing I don't stick with. Any other perfectionist out there feel this way?

I recently joined a live mindfulness workshop and ... it wasn't bad. In fact, I was surprised by how good it felt. Meditation isn't about perfection. It's okay if it feels hard - because it is. Our minds have a million things running around, competing for our attention. Moms are especially vulnerable to this brain vomit. We have been conditioned to multitask on a level that isn't healthy or sustainable. But I discovered that is exactly why I probably need to practice meditation more often. (I say this, yet I haven't done it since that workshop, perhaps I just convinced myself to do it today)

I'm not here as an expert, just merely introducing it to you.

You can don't have to block off 30 minutes a day. This is a short two minute video. If you notice your mind wondering (everyone will) try redirecting your thoughts to the weight of your bottom on the ground or chair, like an anchor digging into the sand or pressing your fingers together. I found this more helpful than focusing on my breath, but do whatever works for you in the moment. It is a discovery session, not a pass fail exercise.

You can also incorporate exercises in breath work, like those by Japa Breathwork.

I hope you find this useful in your journey towards more self-compassion. Noticing the distractions during meditation, then learning how to redirect your focus is a self compassion skill. Mindfulness means noticing the pain or frustration of a mistake, then reminding ourselves it is part of the human experience and we deserve to move forward without shame or self-hate.

Christina Corcoran© 2025