Psychological Well-Being and Mindfulness: Evaluating the Effects of Mindfulness Practices on Mental Health

Concerning positive mental health, self-compassion has long been known as a construct grounded in being kind to oneself, feeling alike to others, and being mindful while suffering and has been robustly associated with positive mental health. Studies have shown that in individuals with high self-compassion, there are lower levels of anxiety and depression and higher levels of reported life satisfaction (Neff, 2003; Zessin et al., 2015). This buffering may be explained by the fact that self-compassionate individuals practice fewer emotional regulation strategies (including levels of self-criticism and rumination) that are central to psychological distress (Gilbert & Procter, 2006).