Past to Future: Self-Compassion Can Change our Vision

Title
Past to Future: Self-Compassion Can Change our Vision
Publication Date
2018-10-10
Author(s)
Phillips, Wendy J
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5063-5758
Email: wphilli4@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:wphilli4
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Gokmen Arslan, Pub
Place of publication
Turkey
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/30529
Abstract
Self-compassion is known to heighten our ability to manage past or present negative life events. This study investigated whether self-compassion also influences future-outlook, by examining its effects on optimism, savouring-anticipating, balanced time perspective, use of future oriented words, and use of positively oriented affective words. Australian students (Mage= 34.81, SD = 10.14) either wrote self-compassionately about a recent negative experience (n = 169) or completed a control writing task (n = 167). Participants in the self-compassion condition generally reported a brighter future-outlook than control participants, but effects varied according to baseline trait self-compassion. Participants with low trait self-compassion reported a more balanced time perspective and used more positively oriented affective words and future oriented words; whereas participants with high trait self-compassion scored higher only on savouring-anticipating and experienced decrements in balanced time perspective. Unexpectedly, the self-compassion induction did not influence optimism. This study is among the first to demonstrate that self-compassion can influence future-outlook. As future-outlook has been associated with many positive health outcomes, these findings suggest that increases in positive future-outlook may represent another mechanism through which self-compassion conveys its positive effects on well-being.
Link
Citation
Journal of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing, 2(2), p. 168-190
ISSN
2587-0130
Start page
168
End page
190
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

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