Transcript Document

Compassion Focused Approaches
(to psychological well-being)
Dr Dan Barnard DClinPsy (Oxon)
Mr Barry Day
Slides adapted and used following permission
of Professor Paul Gilbert PhD, FBPsS, OBE
Plan
3 mins to-your-neighbour discussion
20 mins introduction to mindful compassion
5 mins experiential focus
10 mins organisational focus
Why do we need Compassion?
Life is Hard
What does the happiest man in
the world look like?
What Compassion is and is not
A sensitivity to the suffering of self and others with a deep
commitment/motivation to try to relieve and prevent it
Two different Psychologies
– To approach, understand and mindfully engage with
suffering - calls for curiosity and COURAGE
– To work to alleviate and prevent suffering – work to
acquire wisdom and skills - calls for positive
motivation and DEDICATION
Why do we need compassion?
The shared human condition – the ‘tricky brain’:
1 You didn’t choose your brain – it was built for you
2 25,000 days – we are all in this together and we need
to pull together. Once we decide to alleviate suffering
collectively we do good things
3 We are only one version of ourselves. We are socially
created.
SO, overall it is not your fault
The human brain is the product of many millions of years of
evolution – a process of conserving, modifying and adapting
Tricky Brain and its problematic loops
New Brain: Imagining,
Planning, Ruminating, Self-monitoring
Old Brain
Motives (harm-avoidance, food, sex, caring, status)
Behaviours (fight, flight, shut down, courting, caring)
Your ‘new’ brain
Fantastically resourceful mind but one that can drive you
crazy if unchecked
Why – well you can imagine yourself into distressing
loops that activate the same brain systems as actual
events
You can leave your mind to itself, but the mind is a
garden and will be cultivated and regulated (or not!)
according to the weather that prevails
Important steps toward improved well-being
A
Get mindful – observe, attend and understand
what your mind is up to
B
Motives organise the mind. Compassionate versus
competitive motivations and the impact on emotional
well-being
Mindfulness
“Mindfulness is the awareness that emerges through
paying attention on purpose in the present moment, and
non-judgmentally, to the unfolding of experience
moment by moment”, Jon Kabat-Zinn
Holding the attitude of observant curiosity - with
acceptance of whatever arises
Mindfully understand and be aware of the TRICKY BRAIN
that is NOT YOUR FAULT in action.
Types of Affect Regulator Systems
Content, safe, connected
Drive, excite, vitality
Non-wanting/
Affiliative focused
Incentive/resourcefocused
Safeness-kindness
Wanting, pursuing,
achieving
Soothing
Activating
Threat-focused
Protection and
Safety-seeking
Activating/inhibiting
Anger, anxiety, disgust
Clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeU5xZW7cU
Relationships calm us down
Day you are born to the die we pass away it is
relationships that calm down our threat system
We are biologically programmed to respond to giving and
receiving kindness
This is not fluffy stuff! Compassion is hard science fact
that this is how our brains calm down and we have wellbeing
A well developed soothing brain system is a balanced
regulated mind
Compassion as Flow
Other
Self
Self
Other
Self
Self
Evidence that intentionally practicing each of these can
have positive impact on well-being and behaviour
Competitive Brain
Mindfulness
New Brain: Imagination,
Planning, Rumination, Integration
Self-Identity
Old Brain: Emotions, Motives,
Relationship Seeking-Creating
Compete
Mindful Compassion Brain
Mindfulness
New Brain: Imagination,
Planning, Rumination, Integration
Self-Identity
Old Brain: Emotions, Motives,
Relationship Seeking-Creating
Compassion
YOU AT YOUR BEST EXERCISE
then
ORGANISATIONAL FOCUS
Organisational risks to being more threat
focused than compassion focused
Money
Critical-fear of error
Rapid change – more for less
Job Insecurity
Down grading
Jobs getting too big
Time pressure
Anger, anxiety, disgust
Organisational risks to being more threat
focused than compassion focused
Drive, excite, vitality
What next?
Just keeping-up
Top down –little innovation
Meeting targets
Time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6
eFFCi12v8
Critical/bullying
Rapid change – more for less
Job Insecurity
Down grading
Jobs getting to big
Time pressure
Anger, anxiety, disgust
Organisational risks to being more threat
focused than compassion focused
Content, safe, connected
Drive, excite, vitality
Job is too big
Downgrading
Just keeping-up
Top down –little innovation
Meeting targets
Little time for relating –
not valued
L Unstable relating
Threatened managers
No safe base or safe haven
Critical/Bullying
Rapid change – more for less
Job Insecurity
Down grading
Jobs getting too big
Time pressure
Anger, anxiety, disgust
http://www.onemomentmeditation.com/
Increasing organisational well-being
A
Be a mindful leader – observe, attend and be insatiably
curious what the collective brain (organisation) is up to.
B
Increase relational/affiliative activity – bring people
together. Remember we are programmed to help each
other
C
Bottom up – give your organisation autonomy and
empower them.
D
Leadership qualities – coaching
E
Consider a programme?
Take Homes
Tricky brain, not your fault, we are all in this together
Scientifically important role of compassion as route to
increased well-being
Be mindful and attentive to what your mind is up to and
whether there is balance in your emotional systems
One Minute Meditation
Apply the compassion focused principles to your
organisational health