I believe compassion for ourselves and others is needed more than ever before.

Listening to Dawson Church, a well-known EFT practitioner who works with soldiers who have experienced PTSD, I was struck by his discussion of the power of compassion and its influence on the brain.

Scientific research is beginning to show that compassion-based practices can influence brain activity, emotional wellbeing, and prosocial behaviour. Studies of compassion meditation suggest that repeatedly cultivating kindness and concern for ourselves and others may help shape the way we respond to suffering and relate to the world around us.

When we look at historical changes in attitudes towards slavery, women's rights, and child labour, we can see how society's understanding of human dignity and suffering has evolved. Compassion may be one of the forces that encourages us to recognise injustice and seek change, alongside education, activism, legislation, and other social movements.

This compassion needs to extend to ourselves as well.

When we treat ourselves with kindness rather than harsh judgement, we may create opportunities for positive changes in our emotional wellbeing and the way we respond to life's challenges. Research into self-compassion and compassion-based practices offers encouraging evidence, although much remains to be understood about how these changes develop and how lasting they are.

Perhaps the question we should be asking is: What could happen if more of humanity consciously chose to practise compassion, beginning with ourselves and extending to others?

Could the cultivation of compassion help us create a world in which suffering is recognised, dignity is respected, and people are more willing to care for one another?

I believe this is a question worth exploring—not only through science, but through the choices we make every day. So make a choice that is kind to yourself today.