Topic outline

  • Week 6: In search of a compassionate-self

    Welcome to the sixth course week!

    This week's themes are accepting emotions (instead of avoiding them), as well as self-criticism and self-compassion.

     

    Pausing in this moment

    This last course week also begins with an invitation to pause at this moment. It means giving yourself a chance to calm down and become aware of what's going on with you right now, in this moment. What could be a suitable way for you to pause right now? One option is to do a familiar mindfulness exercise: 

     


    This week's assignments are:

    • Watch the video: Accepting feelings
    • Read: What does my self-critic want?
    • Read and do the exercises: Waking up compassion
    • Submit individual assignments
    • At the end of the week: What will you take away from this week? (Exceptionally, do this already before the group meeting)
    • Peer group meeting (face-to-face or via video) and submitting the memo

    • Page icon
      Accepting feelings and emotions Page
    • Page icon
      What does my self-critical self want? Page
      Students must
      Mark as done
    • Page icon
      Awakening your Compassion Page
    • Assignment icon
      Week 6 individual assignment submission
      Students must
      Make a submission
      Individual assignment (book 1-2h)

      Before starting with these assignments, read thoroughly the material and your notes for this week. Then answer the following questions in a free-form text. The most essential thing for you is to take the time to reflect on the questions on your own part.


      Reflecting on this week: what you have learned about your own self-critic based on the material? Which type of self-critic sounded like the most familiar one? Did you learn new things about what your self-criticism tries to make happen? How are the goals of the self-critic realized? Have you (now or earlier) learned means for calming down the self-critic?

      Reflecting on the whole course: Stop for a while to memorize and reflect on the topics and things the course and the peer group have covered. Additionally, return to your pre-assignment and read there what you wanted to learn on the course. Take also a look back at your answers to the weekly reflective questions - what observations do you make? Write your own style of text about what kind of experience this course has been for you.


      After submitting the assignment, pause for a while to reflect, and answer the questions for the week!

      Additionally, after submitting all course assignments please give us course feedback. We will summarize all feedback at the end of the academic year and use it for course development for the coming year.


      Submit your answer via the “Add submission” button below. The submission format is online text instead of file submissions, because of your privacy. Teachers can read online texts in MyCourses, while files must be downloaded for reading them. We still recommend you to save your texts for yourself in a suitable file format.

      Note that only course teachers can see your submissions. Please don’t include any sensitive information, such as time of birth, social security number or any personal health information, in your response.

    • Assignment icon
      Week 6 group discussion submission Assignment
      Students must
      Make a submission

      Instructions for the Week 6 group discussion:

      At first, feel free to share something about your week and how you have been. In case you meet online, please turn on your cameras, whenever possible. Agree on turns for keeping notes and submitting the memo after the meeting via the "Add submission" button below. One of the best practices is to rotate this task on weekly basis.

      Each of you is allowed to decide how much and at what level you want to tell about your individual assignment answers. The main point is that each group member has the opportunity to take part in the discussion and everyone is listened to. See the Guidelines for peer group discussions in the Orientation week material.

      Discuss in free format at least about the following topics:

      Course week 6

      • what kinds of thoughts did this course week’s material and individual assignments provoke?
      • What have you learned about accepting feelings and self-compassion? In what kinds of situations is it especially challenging to be self-compassionate? 
      • How do you already show self-compassion? What kinds of acts of self-compassion could you add to your everyday life? 
      • What kind of study culture, environment and community could support compassionate attitude towards yourself and others?

      The whole course

      • Your weekly individual task has been to write down what you take with you from the course weeks. Discuss these ” key-take-aways on general level – what has been useful and why? 
      • Note that this is the final course meeting with this peer-group. Therefore, you can also reflect the course themes in general, as well as your course experiences and group discussions – what kinds of feelings and thoughts have these six weeks inspired or provoked?

      The note taker makes notes and in the end of the meeting, go through together the most important points in your discussion. The note taker writes these down and submits the memo as soon after the meeting as possible. There are no minimum or maximum lengths for the memo, but it should cover the topics you have discussed.

    • Page icon
      At the end of the week: your key take-aways Page
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Week 5: A place to pause - time for thoughts and feelings