Squeeze the Lemon for Self-Compassion

Preparation

• This activity can be conducted with groups of women and groups of men; however, it should be led in single-sex groups except when facilitators feel otherwise. The facilitators should also be of the same sex as the participants in the group (i.e. women facilitators should facilitate activities among groups of women), especially for any sensitive discussions. This activity may be conducted with adolescents and youth, but considerations should be given toward conducting activities with individuals grouped by similar ages. It should be emphasized throughout the curriculum that violence should never be tolerated or accepted.
• This activity should take place in a quiet place.
• Ask participants to sit comfortably.

Introduction

Tell participants, “Today we will do an activity that can help us practice self-compassion. Self-compassion means being kind or compassionate to yourself.”

Implementation: Squeeze the Lemon

• Ask participants to close their eyes.
• When participants have closed their eyes, ask them to make a fist with one of their hands.
• Tell participants to imagine that they are holding a lemon and squeezing it for its juice.
• Ask them to squeeze the imaginary lemon. Ask them to squeeze as much juice as they can out of the lemon.
• After a few seconds, as them to stop squeezing their fist and feel their body relax.

Discussion

• • Ask participants, “How do you feel?”
  • Tell participants, “When you stop squeezing the lemon, your body (muscles) should feel more relaxed.”

Implementation: Squeeze the Lemon with Self-Compassion

• Explain to participants, “We will do this activity again but this time, we will also do self-reflection (thinking about oneself) and self-compassion (showing kindness to oneself).”
• Give participants the following instructions. Be sure to pause for a few seconds after each statement to give participants time to become aware of their body and thoughts. Participants should keep their eyes closed throughout your instructions:

• Close your eyes. Squeeze your fist as before. Notice the tension in your body.
• Now think about an experience when you made a mistake or something didn’t work out as you had hoped.
• Now take a few slow breaths and release the tension in your fist and body until you are relaxed.
• Think about the circumstance. Think about your feelings about the time. Ask yourself, what were your needs at that time? What influenced you to act the way you did?
• Now try to accept yourself for what happened. Say to yourself, “I wish this hadn’t happened, but I had my reasons. I have compassion for myself. I accept myself without judgment.” Spend a minute thinking about this.

• Share with participants, if they want, they can symbolically let go of the memory. They can close their fist pretending that they are holding onto the memory and throw it away.

Discussion

• As a group, discuss how it feels to have compassion toward oneself. How does having self-compassion help us learn and grow?
• Discuss whether self-compassion is always enough, and when it’s useful to reach out to others.

Closing

Thanks the participants for their participation