Positive Psychology Based on Neuroscience: The Power of Self-Compassion and Self-Acceptance
An important development in the field of psychology in recent years neuroscience-based positive psychology, contains important concepts aimed at improving the quality of life of individuals. In this context, self-compassion, self-love and self-acceptance have a transformative effect on human psychology. Scientific research shows that these concepts increase the ability of individuals to cope with stress.
The Importance of Self-Compassion
Self-compassion is the ability of an individual to be kind and understanding towards themselves. When we criticize ourselves, we are often harsh and unkind. However, self-compassion reverses this and allows us to be more understanding towards ourselves. Self-compassion increases our emotional resilience in the face of stressful situations and positively affects our overall mood.
Self-Love and Self-Acceptance
Self-love is when an individual knows their own value and develops a positive attitude towards themselves. Self-acceptance means that an individual accepts their own flaws and weaknesses. These two concepts directly affect the mental health of individuals. When we have a compassionate and accepting attitude towards ourselves, the impact of negative emotions decreases and our quality of life increases.
Stress Coping Skills
Stress is an inevitable part of everyday life. However, improving our coping skills can make this situation more manageable. Self-compassion and self-acceptance strengthen our coping strategies. Instead of perceiving negative situations as threats, viewing them as learning opportunities positively affects the mental health of individuals.
The Relationship Between Neuroscience and Positive Psychology
Neuroscience is a branch of science that studies the functioning of the brain and nervous system. Positive psychology aims to increase individuals' feelings of happiness and satisfaction. The combination of these two fields allows individuals to better understand and improve their psychological state. Neuroscience-based approaches play an important role in individuals' emotional reactions and restructuring of their thoughts.
Emotional Regulation and Control
Emotional regulation is the ability of individuals to manage their reactions to events they experience. Research shows that individuals have complete control over their emotional responses. For example, when faced with a stressful situation such as job loss, you can determine the emotions and reactions you feel. This emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility and choice.
Understanding Automatic Responses
In stressful situations, automatic reactions occur in the substructures of the brain. These reactions often develop outside of conscious thought processes. For example, reacting immediately in the event of danger is possible with the activation of the brain's defense mechanisms. However, being aware of these automatic reactions helps individuals develop emotional regulation skills.
Awareness and Management of Emotional Responses
Neuroscience-based approaches allow individuals to notice activations in their bodies. The acceleration of the heartbeat, the emergence of emotions such as stress or anger play an important role in this process. Awareness makes it easier for individuals to understand and manage the emotional and physical reactions they experience. In this way, it is possible to develop healthier coping methods.
Reducing Stress with Compassion and Acceptance
When we approach ourselves with more compassion and acceptance, our ability to cope with stress increases. Instead of perceiving situations as threats, evaluating them as learning opportunities positively affects our mental health. Compassion and acceptance are important tools for individuals to cope with stress.
Neuroscience-Based Body-Emotion-Response Approach
In psychological support processes, the neuroscience-based Body-Emotion-Response (BRT) approach helps individuals cope with anxiety by increasing their bodily awareness. This approach emphasizes that not only bodily reactions but also the thoughts that accompany these reactions should be restructured. When we do not take good care of our bodies, it is inevitable that our mental health will be negatively affected.
