Why Being Kind to Yourself Makes You a Better Student

Alexandra Lee

15 minutes ago2 min read

Life as a student can be demanding, challenging, and generally hectic. So often, we go through periods of intense schoolwork (like exam and midterm season) and forget or simply don’t have the time to take care of ourselves. It is normal to want to try to work harder, push yourself, and forget about everything else as you go through these busy times. While having dedication to do your schoolwork is important, we also know that pushing yourself harder and being self-critical are not always good for your wellbeing and do not help you perform at your best.

Self-compassion has been proven time and time again to help people improve their mental wellbeing and decrease their psychological distress, including for students!

There are a few different components to self-compassion that I would like to introduce you to:

Self-kindness versus self-judgment

Self-compassion involves speaking to yourself kindly, as you might talk to a dear friend, rather than being harsh or self-critical.

2. Common humanity versus isolationSelf-compassion involves recognizing that challenges are common to all of us. Although we each face unique circumstances, we are not alone in our struggle.

3. Mindfulness versus over-identificationMindfulness is about recognizing our challenges, not suppressing them, or having them take over. By approaching our struggles with mindfulness, we can avoid getting lost in negative emotions and suffering.

As we approach exam season, please be kind to yourself and remember that you are not alone in this. Please join us for our Student Wellness Event – Dough Not Worry, Let’s Chat

Date: March 27, 2025Time: 12:00-2:00 pm
Location: Seven Shores, 10 Regina St N, Waterloo, ON

Description: This is a FREE drop-in event with Anchoridge Counselling Services and Crumby Cookie Dough. It will allow you to relax, chat with friendly therapists, and learn some tips for managing stress and balancing your workload during exams.