Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout
Tools to Help You Heal and Recharge When You’re Wrung Out by Stress
Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer
A digital professor copy will be available on VitalSource when published ?“What a helpful book! It is almost like you are sitting with Drs. Neff and Germer and feeling their kindness and support. You learn about the science of burnout, and how to recover and even grow from it. With stories, practical exercises, deep insights, and lots of encouragement, you are guided step by step to real well-being and open-hearted ways to manage the challenges of life.”
—Rick Hanson, PhD, author of Resilient
“When we’re pushed beyond our limits, self-compassion is the most overlooked—yet crucial—medicine we have for regaining resilience, wise perspective, and wholehearted engagement with life. Drawing on their experience as global leaders in the field of self-compassion, Drs. Neff and Germer have created an invaluable toolkit filled with powerful, actionable strategies to transform your relationship with stress.”
—Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance
“A 'must read' for anyone seeking support and renewal, this book helps you navigate the high demands of our world with tender-hearted wisdom. Through scientific research, mindful self-compassion practices, and poignant personal examples, Drs. Neff and Germer illuminate a path for meeting burnout with kindness, mindfulness, and shared humanity.”
—Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Life
“This book arrived with perfect timing—I was emerging from a period of burnout and seeking more mindfulness in my life. It reads like a warm note from a good friend. This book definitely belongs in my daily toolkit for adapting and thriving as a highly sensitive person in today’s world.”
—Cliff A., Cambridge, Massachusetts
Table of Contents
Introduction1. When Your Cup Runs Dry: The Causes and Consequences of Burnout
2. Replenishing Ourselves: How Self-Compassion Combats Burnout
3. A Recipe for Resilience: The Ingredients of Self-Compassion
4. It’s Not What You Think: Misgivings about Self-Compassion
5. Your Body Knows: The Physiology of Stress and Care
6. Warming Up the Conversation: Tender Acceptance
7. When Self-Compassion Feels Bad: Working with Backdraft
8. Putting Things in Perspective: Mindful Awareness
9. Resistance Is Futile: How Fighting Burnout Makes It Worse
10. Facing the Storm: Working with the Difficult Emotions of Burnout
11. Stopping the Drain: Reducing Empathy Fatigue
12. When Good Isn’t Good Enough: Avoiding the Perfectionism Sinkhole
13. Why We Beat Ourselves Up: Understanding the Inner Critic
14. Doing Something about It: Fierce Self-Compassion in Action
15. Drawing a Line in the Sand: Learning How to Say No
16. Providing for Ourselves: What Do I Need?
17. Rediscovering Meaning: What Are My Core Values?
18. Becoming a Wise Inner Coach: Self-Compassionate Motivation
19. Goodwill, Not Good Feelings: Cultivating Loving-Kindness
20. Small Pleasures: Savoring the Good
21. Knowing Our Strengths: The Practice of Self-Appreciation
22. Moving Forward: Becoming a Compassionate Mess
Resources
Notes
Index
About the Authors
Kristin Neff, PhD, is Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research. She has been recognized as one of the most influential researchers in psychology worldwide. Her books with Christopher Germer include The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook andChristopher Germer, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and Lecturer on Psychiatry (part-time) at Harvard Medical School. His books with Kristin Neff include The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook and