Don't blame yourself when you encounter setbacks! Study: Women's "self-compassion" reduces carotid cardiovascular risk
What is a “self-compassion” exercise? Research says it can reduce irritability and depression
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused drastic changes in society, resulting in unprecedented changes in many people’s lives and an overwhelming amount of stressors. More and more people are turning to psychotherapy to help manage stress. Research from the University of Pittsburgh shows that “self-compassion” exercises in mindfulness therapy can not only relieve anxiety, but also help reduce cardiovascular problems in women.
The concept of “self-compassion” was proposed by Kristin Neff, a psychology professor at the University of Texas at Austin. The main concept includes three parts:
Self-kindness: Try to encourage yourself when you are in pain instead of being self-critical or self-harming.
Common humanity: Realizing that pain and failure are shared experiences, not isolated emotions.
Mindful thinking: Keep the positive and negative emotions in your mind in balance, and face negative emotions with an open attitude.
Practicing mindfulness therapy and self-compassion are practices that many counselors recommend for their clients. These modalities have been shown to be effective in controlling anxiety, irritability, and even mild depression.
Can “mindfulness” help improve cardiovascular disease? Study: Reduces risk of carotid artery blockage, plaque buildup
Dr. Rebecca Thurston, the lead author of the study, recruited 200 women aged 45-67 and asked them to complete a “Self-Compassion Scale”, which was designed to evaluate how often they felt “uncomfortable” and how often they felt about their flaws. disappointment? Or do you give yourself care and tenderness when you encounter difficulties?
In addition to the questionnaire survey, the subjects also underwent ultrasound examinations of the carotid arteries to measure the flow of blood in the neck from the heart to the brain to determine whether mindfulness therapy and self-compassion exercises can be beneficial to cardiovascular health.
The study found that women who scored higher on the Self-Compassion Scale had thinner carotid artery walls and less plaque buildup than women with lower self-compassion. These two health markers are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (such as heart disease, stroke) years later.
The research team claimed that it has strictly controlled many variables that affect cardiovascular health, such as physical activity, exercise, smoking and depression symptoms, and strived to ensure the accuracy and reliable relevance of the research results. The research conclusion also pointed out that when it comes to chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, insulin resistance or high cholesterol, middle-aged women who practice self-compassion have a slightly lower risk of being diagnosed with related chronic diseases.
Are women more likely to suffer from mental illness? Are the benefits of mindfulness therapy underestimated?
Rebecca Thurston said that in terms of psychological research, most of them focus on studying how “stress” or other negative factors affect cardiovascular health. However, there is still a lack of more in-depth and extensive research on whether the impact of positive psychological factors, such as self-compassion and mindfulness therapy, can bring positive benefits to cardiovascular health. It is possible that the impact of these benefits on psychology and physiology has been seriously underestimated.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are facing huge stressors such as family, workplace and even life-threatening situations. It is easy to imagine how difficult the situation for women is. Previous research has also shown that women are more likely to suffer from mental illness due to working and taking care of their families. Nursing staff on the front line of epidemic prevention are also a group prone to depression and anxiety.
Rebecca Thurston emphasized that this study not only emphasizes the importance of practicing self-compassion, but also that being able to practice self-compassion correctly will have positive benefits for physical and mental health no matter what stressful moment you are in.
Source:
Self-compassion and subclinical cardiovascular disease among midlife women.
