Trait and daily self-compassion in relation to daily stress, eating behaviours and sleep: a daily diary study

BACKGROUND: Trait self-compassion is consistently associated with reduced stress and health-promoting behaviours. This study examined whether trait and state-like daily self-compassion played similar roles in relation to daily stress and health behaviours, and whether they moderated the associations between daily stress and daily health behaviours. METHODS: A sample of 138 individuals completed baseline measures of trait self-compassion and eating styles, followed by a 7-day daily diary in which daily self-compassion, stress, eating, and sleep were assessed. RESULTS: Trait self-compassion was found to be positively associated with daily self-compassion. Trait self-compassion was also associated with uncontrolled, emotional, and intuitive eating styles. Multilevel modelling indicated that trait self-compassion was related to lower daily total snacking and better sleep outcomes, including reduced pre-sleep arousal and morning tiredness. At a daily level, self-compassion was associated with greater vegetable consumption, fewer hassles, more uplifts but poorer sleep quality. Finally, trait self-compassion moderated the relationship between daily stress and total snacking, such that individuals higher in self-compassion reported less snacking on stressful days. CONCLUSIONS: These findings extend existing knowledge by highlighting distinct associations of trait and daily self-compassion with daily stress, eating behaviours and sleep, and suggest that future research should further examine their potential roles in daily stress-health behaviour processes.