Be kind to yourself: the effects of a mindful self-compassion journal on health behaviour and the mediating role of behavioural resistance — a randomised controlled trial

Abstract

This paper sought to investigate the effects of engaging in a daily mindful self-compassion journal for one week on health behaviour, compared to general journaling, mediated by behavioural resistance, i.e., the extent of disliking health behaviour. The sample was compromised of 83 international women ageing 18 years and above of which 45 were included in the analyses. The study utilised a mixed experimental design with the betweensubjects factor journaling condition (intervention versus active control) and the withinsubjects factor time (baseline versus post-intervention versus follow-up). Across the whole sample, health behaviour improved over time (large effect); immediately post-intervention, and the improvements were maintained at a four-week follow-up. Health behaviour was not different between groups, and keeping a mindful self-compassion journal did not increase health behaviour compared to general journaling at both time-points. Findings of an additional analysis suggest a positive moderate association between mindful self-compassion and health behaviour partly mediated by lower behavioural resistance. The results of this study suggest that a brief mindful self-compassion and general journal may be equally effective in improving health behaviour. However, the positive effect on health behaviour may also be attributable to external circumstances (e.g., COVID-19). Despite the lack of causal evidence, the present study suggests that highly self-compassionate women experience lower levels of resistance towards health-promoting and higher levels of resistance towards unhealthy behaviour, which, in turn, is associated with increased health behaviour.