Personal Portfolio of the Self-Compassion Letter and Savouring Expedition

Personal Portfolio of the Self-Compassion Letter and Savouring Expedition

Positive psychology provides us with a selection of evidence-based exercises and inter- ventions, aiming to improve our overall wellbeing and quality of life (Sheldon, Kashdan, & Steger, 2011). When choosing a positive psychology intervention (PPI) out of a constantly growing pool of variations, to receive the best possible results, one should take into account the individual’s personality, strengths and weaknesses - including values and goals, sources of happiness and additional factors such as one’s level of motivation. The Person-Activity Fit Diagnostic (Sheldon & Lyubomirsky, 2006a), a tool which considers a number of these fac- tors, may help find a suitable intervention for those who are not sure where to start, while others may intuitively know what fits them and what doesn’t, as suggested by Lyubomirsky (2008). For me this has been achieved through a combination of in-depth research and fol- lowing my intuition.

Early in my research, while working with the Person-Activity Fit Diagnostic, I discov- ered that I had already implemented many positive psychology interventions into my daily life. However, in more informal ways, such as counting my blessings after a morning yoga practice - an activity showing similarities to the Three Good Things intervention, in which one writes down three things each day that went well, elaborating on the cause of each good thing (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005). During the first semester of the MAPPCP, I also tested several other interventions, including Finding Silver Linings, a PPI designed to help reframe negative experiences of the day and find value in them (Sergeant & Mongrain, 2014). I have been introduced to an even wider range of evidence-based PPIs through lec- tures and additional reading.

As a yoga teacher, I have a particular interest in understanding the role of Eastern tradi- tions in positive psychology. This has led me to fill in one of the questionnaires introduced in Hefferon (2013): The Self-Compassion Scale - Short Form (SCS–SF) (Raes, Pommier, Neff, & Van Gucht, 2011). The questionnaire was designed to evaluate behaviour towards oneself and our level of self-compassion, which “involves relating to oneself with care and support when we suffer” (K. D. Neff & Knox, 2017, p. 1). I was surprised to find I scored rather low overall. I started looking deeper into the research of self-compassion PPIs in relation to gen- eral wellbeing, as well as their relationship to stress and study. The reported benefits aligned well with my current situation as a master’s student. I concluded that writing a Self-Compas- sion Letter (Shapira & Mongrain, 2010) would be a formidable fit for this portfolio.

As I have spent a great part of the last two years travelling, I feel I may no longer fully appreciate the exciting experiences that travel provides. Instead, I have found myself focus- sing more on the challenges that come with being on the road for a significant period of time. Through this portfolio, I would like to remind myself that in travelling I have the opportunity to experience on a regular basis, what others might consider the experience of a lifetime.

With this, I would like to approach every experience anew, grasping its uniqueness and sa- vouring every moment of it fully. Thus, making it exactly that - the experience of a lifetime. This is why I chose the Savouring Expedition (Harrison, Smith, & Bryant, 2013) as my sec- ond intervention.

To measure the quantitative results of this portfolio I considered a number of scales. Based on both associated studies, as well as my personal circumstances, I chose the Self- Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff, 2003a; Appendix A) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988; Appendix B) to evaluate the interven- tions’ quantitative outcomes.

The Self-Compassion Letter

As the dialogue between Western psychology and Eastern traditions increases - self-compas- sion, a key concept of Buddhism for more than 2,500 years, has recently become a research topic for western psychologists (see Gilbert, 2005; Leary, Tate, Adams, Allen, & Hancock, 2007; Neff, 2008). Neff (2003a, p.225) describes self-compassion as “a useful emotional regulation strategy, in which painful or distressing feelings are not avoided but are instead held in awareness with kindness, understanding, and a sense of shared humanity.” Studies on self-compassion range from long-term programs such as the eight-week Mindful Self-Com- passion Program (Neff & Germer, 2013), to temporarily induced states of self-compassion (Neff & Knox, 2017). Self-compassion has been found to serve as an important source of coping and resilience in dealing with life stressors (Neff & Knox, 2017), lowering physiolog- ical stress responses (Bluth et al., 2016). It has also been shown to improve self-motivation (Breines & Chen, 2012; Neff, Hsieh, & Dejitterat, 2005) and positively influence general wellbeing in a number of ways (Neff, 2003 b; Neff, Rude, & Kirkpatrick, 2007).

For this portfolio, I first considered an intervention focussed on a group of students. The brief intervention “led to significantly greater increases in self-compassion, mindfulness, optimism, and self-efficacy, as well as significantly greater decreases in rumination” (Smeets, Neff, Alberts, & Peters, 2014, p. 1). This resonated with me, as I feel under pressure in my own studies and can engage in self-criticism at times. Additionally, I had scored low on the SCS-SF (Raes et al., 2011). I was interested in how I could increase my own level of self- compassion and thereby the chances of gaining these benefits. However, this exact interven- tion could not have been replicated to the same extent in the setting of this portfolio as the students participated in workshops, alongside a writing exercise. Therefore, I decided to work with a related intervention - the Self Compassion Letter (Shapira & Mongrain, 2010; Appendix C) .

The controlled experimental study found that a week-long daily journaling exercise can lead to a sustainable increase in emotional wellbeing (Shapira & Mongrain, 2010) . The par- ticipants of the self-compassion condition completed a number of questionnaires online, be- fore starting the intervention on the following day. Taking 5 to 15 minutes every night for a week, they were asked to reflect on an upsetting event of the day and write a kind and understanding letter to themselves. On the last day the participants again filled in a battery of tests. The researchers followed up after one, three, and six months to test for long-term ef- fects of the study. The self-compassion condition demonstrated positive effects such as an in- creased level of happiness and a decrease in depressive symptoms over a sustained period of time (Shapira & Mongrain, 2010) .

Writing self-compassion letters to myself for a week has been a very positive, albeit challenging experience. Even though my schedule was extremely busy, I found the time and motivation required to complete this task. I enjoyed the writing component which made me feel instantly calmer on most days. At the same time, I felt emotionally vulnerable as the in- tervention required me to reflect back on upsetting events of the day and my role in them. While I didn’t feel a positive effect after week one, I did feel more sensitive and upset, I then began to witness a subtle change in my cognitions in the weeks that followed. This was also visible in my quantitative measurements with the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff, 2003a), and in line with the delayed effect found by (Shapira & Mongrain, 2010) , where the most sig- nificant increase in self-compassion occurred after three months. While I did not explicitly continue the Self-Compassion Letter after the intervention period, I found myself referring back to it implicitly, at times by engaging in a kind and soothing inner dialogue. In my view, by that I found the version of this intervention that fits best for me and therefore, could ex- plain the effect deferment I found in my own results and those found by Shapira and Mongrain (2010).

I completed my selection of questionnaires at three time-points (baseline, one week, one month), including the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS; Neff, 2003a), as well as the PANAS (Watson et al., 1988), which I also used to pre-post test my second intervention.

The Savouring Expedition

Savouring is a process of emotional regulation in which we seek out, appreciate and by that, enhance positive experiences (Bryant & Veroff, 2007). It can lead to sustained and intensified positive affect (Bryant, Chadwick, & Kluwe, 2011; Bryant & Veroff, 2007; Wood, Heimpel, & Michela, 2003), increased happiness (Quoidbach, Berry, Hansenne, & Mikolajczak, 2010), as well as higher levels of wellbeing (e.g. Bryant, Yarnold, & Morgan, 1991; Emmons & McCullough, 2003). A person might engage in one or more of the following savouring tech- niques: sharing the experience with others, behavioural expression such as laughing, counting blessings, self-congratulation, memory building by remembering the positive event, and sen- sory-perceptual sharpening through conscious awareness of pleasant physical sensations (Bryant & Veroff, 2007).

While some researchers expand these categories, e.g. by including dampening strate- gies, which decrease savouring (Wood et al., 2003), the research is mostly concordant in terms of general strategies that people use in relation to positive experiences (Bryant et al., 2011). The positive effects of these techniques have been for example measured through di- ary studies (Jose, Lim, & Bryant, 2012; see Smith, Harrison, Kurtz, & Bryant, 2014 for a detailed summary of past savouring interventions). However, it is not yet clear exactly how savouring increases wellbeing. Bryant and Veroff (2007) have suggested, it likely mediates and/or moderates the relationship between positive events and happiness. Also, the outcome may vary between savouring strategies, with a diverse set of techniques reported to lead to a higher level of overall happiness (Quoidbach et al., 2010).

Savouring opportunities are as diverse as the sources of positive experience, spanning from indulging in delicious food to enjoying a friend’s company (Bryant & Veroff, 2007). Here the question of the right fit comes into play (Lyubomirsky, 2008). As the aim of this in- tervention was to learn to appreciate travel experiences more and by that enhance positive affect while decreasing negative affect (that might come from focussing on the daily hassles of travelling), I was looking for a savouring intervention which can be applied in this setup. The Savouring Expedition (Harrison et al., 2013; Appendix D) presented itself as an ideal fit, as it allowed me to select the circumstances in which to test different savouring techniques, encouraging the participant to go on an expedition.

The Savouring Expedition aims to help those with a basic understanding of the concept reflect on possible strategies, familiar and novel, thereby learning what makes experiences more enjoyable and how to increase positive affect of the individuals (Harrison et al., 2013) . This intervention is based on different previously tested activities, such as the Positive-focus walk (Bryant & Veroff, 2007) and Thinking about past positive events (Lyubomirsky, Sousa, & Dickerhoof, 2006). In three phases the expedition is planned, undertaken, and reflected on. In each phase Harrison et al. (2013) provide simple steps, ensuring the effective use of sev- eral savouring strategies. An optional journaling exercise can be added, aiding with memory building and increasing positive affect through positive reminiscence (Bryant, Smart, & King, 2005).

I chose to go to a little village on the Welsh coast, that I last visited in my childhood. This provided me with several opportunities to savour: the car ride through the countryside, a beautiful beach, and the little town itself. However, the planning turned out to be challenging due to work and weather conditions, which reduced the anticipation that can often be ob- served prior to a planned pleasant activity (Bryant & Veroff, 2007). When I decided to go an- yway, it didn’t go exactly as planned. I couldn’t embark on the planned beach walk as it be- gan to snow - a lot. Yet, it turned into a very positive experience. I found myself in the car overlooking the whole beach, marvelling at the view, indulging in hot tea and delicious sand- wiches.

Through the experience, I learned more about the savouring strategies I already use, such as sensory-perceptual sharpening and discovered some that I intend to use more often such as sharing with others. Furthermore, I could add a new technique to my repertoire: memory building. I realised, how quickly I usually move on from a pleasant experience, in- stead of reflecting on it; a response that has been observed after positive lived experiences (Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Finkenauer, & Vohs, 2001; Conner, Tennen, Fleeson, & Barrett, 2009). Even several days after the experience, I found myself gaining positive affect from reminiscing. These findings aligned with my results from the PANAS, which demonstrated high levels of positive affect. It is worth mentioning that the positive affect could also be in- duced by the nature experience itself , which has been shown to increase wellbeing though en- gaging different senses (see meta-analysis Franco, Shanahan, & Fuller, 2017) or influenced by previous interventions as an intervening variable.

The Self-Compassion Scale (SCS)

I picked the SCS as my main questionnaire for the Self-Compassion Letter, as I was curious if my chosen short-term activity would increase my self-compassion in the long-term and if my results would mirror outcomes observed by Shapira and Mongrain (2010). The SCS (Neff 2003a), is a 26-item self-report measure using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from ‘almost never’ to ‘almost always’. It examines three components of self-compassion, of which each has a positive and negative pole: One’s self-kindness and understanding rather than self-judg- ment or criticism; the feeling of common humanity - understanding that we are experiencing the same painful thoughts and emotions as all other human beings, instead of feeling isolated and, the degree of mindful response to painful feelings such as shame and self-criticism in- stead of over-identifying with them. The negative sub-scale items are scored reversely. The SCS provides a total score and six sub-scores (Neff 2003a).

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