A Small Change in How We Treat Ourselves

A recent La Trobe University trial offers a useful angle on self-compassion: change may not always begin by trying to change the thing we judge. Sometimes it begins by revising how we respond to ourselves.

In a randomized trial of 227 Australian adults aged 18–39, a three-week guided self-compassion meditation program was linked with greater body appreciation and well-being, and less body dissatisfaction. Improvements were still present at a six-week follow-up. The study had limits: it involved a specific age range and population, and participants with certain recent or current conditions were excluded. It is not evidence that this approach works for everyone.

My takeaway is modest: if self-criticism is a recurring pattern, try one small alternative response—not a sweeping self-improvement project. Notice whether it changes how you relate to yourself, and keep or revise the practice based on that.

Read La Trobe University’s report. What would tell you that a kinder response is helping, rather than becoming another demand to improve?