Shamal Jaykar, counselling psychologist, notes the fear society has with self-compassion. She says, “We fear that if we are too kind to ourselves, we might repeat mistakes, not grow and be stuck.” The fear of stagnation has always been a tool that has kept leniency at bay. But Jaykar explains that when the pursuit of growth mixes with self-criticism, there is not going to be any improvement anyway. What we need is self-compassion, with accountability.

If this is a balance you’d like to strike, Jaykar along with counselling psychologist Anchitha Rao will be facilitating a self-compassion workshop with The Alternative Story (TAS). The session will help facilitate a change in the relationship with oneself, and learn how to practise mindfulness and forgiveness, especially when approaching challenging situations.