Loving Kindness: direct warmth and compassion to yourself and others
Reviewed By
Munet Samra - Psychotherapist, MBABCP, 10+ years in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Loving kindness involves directing warm, compassionate thoughts and feelings toward yourself and others. In this exercise you’ll be directing positive wishes towards people in your life. This trains your mind to focus on kindness rather than judgment or negativity. It’s a simple yet powerful way to cultivate a more open and compassionate mindset.
Free to try · Responses are private & encrypted
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What does the Loving Kindness Journal cover?
- Positive wishes for someone close to you
- The same warm wishes for someone you are less close to
- Kind wishes for yourself and your own life
- A rating of how much compassion you feel for yourself right now
Who is this Loving Kindness Journal for?
Helpful if you:
💛 Want to feel warmer towards yourself and others
🪞 Are quick to judge yourself or other people
🧘 Are building a compassion or mindfulness practice
For therapists:
Assign Loving Kindness in compassion-focused or mindfulness-based work, particularly for clients with high self-criticism. The self-compassion rating at the end gives a simple measure to track across repeated practice. Fully HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Dr Harriet Mellotte
Clinical Psychologist & CBT Therapist, BABCP
“Offload is a fantastic resource for both clients and therapists. The world of CBT has been lacking an app which enables the sharing of CBT worksheets and homework tasks between clients and therapists, but Offload completely does this, making the service we offer more professional and the benefits to clients greater.”
Frequently asked questions
What is loving kindness meditation?
Loving kindness is a practice of deliberately directing warm, compassionate wishes towards yourself and others, from people close to you to those you barely know. It comes from Buddhist tradition and is now widely used in compassion-focused therapy and mindfulness programmes because it trains the mind to default to kindness rather than judgement.
Does loving kindness practice actually help?
Research links regular loving kindness practice with increased positive emotion, reduced self-criticism and better relationships. It is particularly useful for people who find self-compassion difficult, because starting with kindness towards others makes it easier to turn that warmth inward.
I find it hard to wish myself well. Is that normal?
Very. Many people find the self-directed part the hardest, which is why this journal leaves it until last and asks you to rate your self-compassion at the end. The rating is not a test; it lets you see the number shift as the practice becomes more familiar. Start small and repeat.
Can my therapist assign this journal?
Yes. Therapists on Offload can assign Loving Kindness in compassion-focused or mindfulness-based work, and the self-compassion rating gives a simple measure to track across repeated practice. Your responses are available for them to review before the next session. Fully HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
Are you a therapist?
Assign this therapy tool and 200+ other interactive tools directly to your clients. Build personalised care plans, customise tools, and review client responses before sessions. HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
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