Unfortunately, compassion is unlikely to get rid of or take away symptoms of ME/CFS, or change the fact that life is not as we wanted. However, we may have already discovered that if we struggle with the symptoms, fight them, or try to make them go away, this often just makes things worse and leaves us feeling stuck.

Self-compassion can help us learn to mindfully notice and accept that in this moment, there is something painful for us. We don’t need to like what is happening, but we can practice caring for ourselves and treating ourselves kindly to reduce the suffering in response to these physical symptoms, difficult and overwhelming moments in our lives, painful thoughts, feelings, or distressing emotions we might experience.