The Compassion Balance: Understanding the Interrelation of Self- and Other-Compassion for Optimal Well-being

Abstract

Objectives This study examined the role of self-other harmony in the relations between self-compassion, other-compassion, and well-being. Past research has shown self- and other-compassion to be positively related. But we hypothesised that self-compassion can be perceived as incompatible with other-compassion, and that self-compassion and other-compassion might be uncorrelated or negatively correlated in daily life for some individuals. We termed this pattern lack of self-other harmony in compassion and hypothesised that it would undermine the benefits of compassion. Method Using an experience sampling method in patients (n=154) with a variety of diagnoses, we measured self-compassion, other-compassion, life-satisfaction, mood, and contextual variables six times per day for 42 time points. Results For most participants, self-compassion was positively associated with other-compassion. However, there was substantial heterogeneity in this effect. The degree of self-other harmony moderated the link between compassion directed towards self or other and well-being. Higher levels of compassion were associated with higher levels of well-being, but only for those who experienced the harmony. When the two forms of compassion were not in harmony, levels of self/other-compassion were largely unrelated to well-being. Conclusions The findings emphasise the importance of personalised compassion interventions rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Increasing self-compassion or other-compassion is likely to improve well-being for most people. However, for a minority lacking the self-other harmony, it may be necessary to assess their interpretation of self- and other-compassion, then work with them to promote the compassion balance optimal for their well-being. Preregistration This study is not preregistered.

The cycle of solitude and avoidance: a daily life evaluation of the relationship between internet addiction and symptoms of social anxiety

“…Also, internet addiction levels had a medium effect size on symptoms of social anxiety for 23% of our study participants, while for 32% the effect was large. These findings may indicate the existence of different profiles of emotional and behavioral dynamics relating internet usage to social anxiety, underscoring the need for a more personalized approach when developing treatment, focusing efforts, and optimizing resources (Hayes et al, 2019(Hayes et al, , 2022Sahdra et al, 2023).…”

“…By doing this, it is possible to estimate a measure of the overall effect size (fixed effect) and an effect size for each participant based on their individual slopes. Consistently, and in keeping with the recent calls to characterize the heterogeneity of fixed effects, which is often under-reported (e.g., Hayes et al, 2022 ; Ciarrochi et al, 2023 Sahdra et al, 2023 ), we aimed to examine the distribution of the effect size of individual slopes of our effects of interest. The fixed effect sizes do not necessarily characterize the experience of every person in the sample.…”

A Personalised Approach to Identifying Important Determinants of Well-being

“…For example, Sahdra et al (2024) examined intensive longitudinal data and found that while valued action was associated with higher hedonic well-being (e.g., lower sadness, higher joy) at the group level, there was a subset of people labeled stoics, for whom it was not associated with higher hedonic well-being and indeed was associated with higher stress. In another intensive longitudinal study, Sahdra et al (2023) found that compassion was associated at the group level with higher well-being. However, at the individual level, it was not associated with well-being if the person experienced conflict between self and other compassion.…”

“…Practitioners often encounter several problems with this recommendation. First, not all components or processes targeted by a protocol are universally applicable to every person (Hayes et al, 2019;Sahdra et al, 2023Sahdra et al, , 2024. This variability is reflected in differing dropout and response rates from standardized protocols (Imel et al, 2013) and in some clients finding a single session satisfactory (Hoyt et al, 2020).…”

“…The violation of ergodicity is not a trivial matter. Research suggests that processes generally beneficial at the group level may be inert or even harmful to some individuals (Ferrari et al, 2022;Sahdra et al, 2023Sahdra et al, , 2024. For example, Sahdra et al (2024) examined intensive longitudinal data and found that while valued action was associated with higher hedonic well-being (e.g., lower sadness, higher joy) at the group level, there was a subset of people labeled stoics, for whom it was not associated with higher hedonic well-being and indeed was associated with higher stress.…”