Self-acceptance

I want to call your attention to the transcription of a short interview with Christopher Germer. Here's part of what he said:

Perhaps the easiest way [to deal with difficult emotions] is simply to label the emotion—fear, anger, sorrow. When we label an emotion, especially with” tender attention” rather than “worried attention,” the emotion seems to lose its sting. Brain imaging studies have also shown how labeling reduces the fear response of the amygdala, the part of the brain that signals danger.
...
[Another] strategy is to use language to soothe and comfort yourself when you’re feeling really bad. You could try the following phrases, which Kristin Neff calls the “self-compassion mantra.” ... When you’re in the midst of emotional pain, try saying to yourself:

This is a moment of suffering
Suffering is a part of life
May I be kind to myself
May I accept myself as I am

Here at the Center we frequently work with the basic principle of accepting our feelings without judgment rather than getting attached to the idea of feeling better right away. Often we will feel better as a result but that needs to be a side-effect --- not the main objective.
~~~