Compassion is a motivation and not an emotion, as is often misunderstood. At its core is the ability to turn to the suffering of others, to hold this experience without falling into pity, but to consciously move into a forward-looking motivation of support at this point. Being compassionate can be trained through small exercises that can be easily integrated into everyday life, as well as through comprehensive programs and thus constantly strengthened. Scientific studies that show what happens in our brain when we practice compassion and how compassion differs significantly from empathy or pity are also interesting.
Topics
Confidence describes an attitude that assumes possible positive developments and focuses on them. However, this is not accompanied by the expectation of making this change solely dependent on others, but rather focusing on what we can contribute ourselves. Confidence can thus strengthen our motivation and energy to actively shape our lives and our environment and to embark on a process of change.
Social connectedness refers to a feeling of connectedness and the perception of being part of a relationship, group or even humanity. This feeling does not require physical proximity, so it can be said that connectedness is initially a feeling from which an action can be taken. It is precisely in moments of tension and stress that we often fail to perceive this connectedness, even though it can have a supportive and even health-promoting effect.
The term “embodiment” refers to the interaction between body, psyche and environment. In recent cognitive science, this is also based on the theory that the body, and therefore physical interaction, is an essential prerequisite for our consciousness. Scientists currently assume that everything we experience in our everyday lives is not only stored in the brain but also in our bodies. This happens, for example, in the form of muscle tension or emotions, which are then accompanied by a corresponding posture of the body. Exercises in different contexts enable us to become more aware of our body and to learn from these observations and experiences.
The term emotional intelligence (EI) encompasses various skills, including self-awareness, self-management, motivation and empathy. Various studies show that improved EI is an essential key to greater personal well-being, valuable leadership qualities and satisfaction. On the one hand, EI training enables us to become more aware of ourselves and how we treat ourselves. It also strengthens our ability to relate to other people with a more conscious attitude that affects our presence and communication.
There is still no clear scientific definition of empathy. It is often understood as the ability to perceive the feelings of others and to empathize with them, at least to a certain extent. We humans have a predisposition to empathy and can consciously train this ability. Related to empathy are the terms empathic stress, compassion and sympathy, which can be consciously avoided or strengthened through exercises.
Mindfulness is the awareness that arises when we consciously focus our attention on the present moment with openness and acceptance. If we practise this, we can improve our personal well-being, our decision-making and conflict resolution skills and our interactions with others in a wide variety of contexts.
Resilience is generally understood as the ability to develop long-term health despite challenging life circumstances and/or events. The focus here is on the ability to recover, i.e. the extent to which we can regain our personal focus and strength when we find ourselves in stressful times or are ‘thrown off course’ by events. Factors that support our resilience include our individual physical and mental health, the quality of our relationships with other people, our self-esteem, opportunities for personal development, etc.
While compassion focuses on the ability to turn our attention to the suffering of others, self-compassion means that we are ourselves. This can be achieved through an attentive, open, loving or accepting attitude towards our current (difficult) condition. We can practice it through small exercises, either directly integrated into our everyday lives or as part of formal programs or schedules. In general, it can be observed that people usually find it easier to show compassion to others than to themselves. Here too, there are already many studies that show the effect of practicing self-compassion both in the moment of application and in the longer term.
The concept of sustainability is defined in many different ways. In my offers, it is always about a conscious future-oriented and human-centered approach that includes the use of resources as well as a view of all those who are influenced by one’s own actions, both directly and in the medium to long term. If we consider that the term was coined around 300 years ago in forestry by Hans Carl von Carlowitz, and that even then the aim was not to harvest more than can grow back in nature, it becomes clear that it is by no means just a modern-day ‘trend’, but in any case a core task in many areas of life.