Eight-week mindful self-compassion course offered to WSU community

When things are tough, it can help to be kind to oneself. That’s the basis of mindful self-compassion, an evidence-based technique to boost resilience and well-being.

Two Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine faculty will offer a free, 8-week course in mindful self-compassion to WSU faculty, staff, and students this summer.

One of the trainers, Senior Associate Dean Dawn DeWitt, said she was skeptical of the technique when she first came across it, but after practicing MSC for nearly a decade, “it’s really transformed my life.” 

Mindful self-compassion teaches participants to treat themselves as they would a friend. Skye McKennon, an associate professor at the medical school and the other MSC trainer for this course, said she previously motivated herself to make changes through self-criticism. “When you motivate yourself from a place of compassion, it’s a much more genuine and effective way to elicit change,” she said.

Self-criticism is especially widespread among high achievers, she and DeWitt said. That’s why the MSC class could be helpful to the WSU community.

“It’s not the be all and end all, but it’s one of those tools in the tool bag of life that helps make things better and easier,” DeWitt said.