When you are struggling with problems like anxiety, depression, relationship conflict, or stress in some area of your life, it is easy to conclude that the one thing all these problems have in common is you.

In her book, Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, Kristin Neff says that self-compassion “entails three core components.

Depression is not sitting alone in a dark room feeling hopeless and sad. People who struggle with depression go to work, watch movies or plays, and interact with people in their lives. The struggle with depression means you may do a lot of these activities without a sense of joy or meaning. As you live on autopilot mode, you may get through the day, but it feels like you are just going through the motions.