The Relationship Between Self-care And Well-being And Its Mechanis

Self-compassion plays a key role in mental health and well-being.Previous research has shown that self-compassion is positively related to subjective wellbeing and psychological well-being,respectively.However,the vast majority of cross-sectional research fail to indicate the temporal relationship between selfcompassion and well-being.Is it truly that self-compassion promotes well-being?Or is self-compassion merely an outcome of higher well-being levels? Or is their relationship bidirectional? According to the Engine Model of Well-Being,selfcompassion may act as a positive inner resource and a personality trait that enhances well-being by influencing individuals’ choices and decision making.Based on the Telic/Goal Theory,self-compassionate people adopt a kind and caring attitude towards themselves.Thus,they may cope better with the negative impact of setbacks and failure and are likely to achieve goals,which in turn leads to higher subjective well-being and psychological well-being.In addition,the mechanism underlying the relations between self-compassion and well-being remains understudied.Based on the Self-Determination Theory,individuals with higher self-compassion take good care of themselves,they are aware of their own psychological needs and try to satisfy them,leading to higher levels of subjective well-being and psychological well-being.Additionally,the Positive Activity Model posited that,intentional behaviours lead to higher levels of well-being through needs satisfaction.Thus,based on the Engine Model of Well-Being,Telic/Goal Theory,Self-Determination Theory and Positive Activity Model,we proposed that self-compassion can predict subjective well-being and psychological well-being over time,and needs satisfaction plays a mediating role in self-compassion and well-being.We used a longitudinal approach to examine these hypotheses in a series of three studies.In study one,we implemented a two-wave longitudinal design in a sample of504 university students to explore the temporal relationship between selfcompassion and two types of well-being(i.e.,subjective well-being and psychological well-being).The interval between two assessments was two months.Cross-lagged panel analysis showed that self-compassion at time 1 is positively associated with subjective well-being and psychological well-being at time 2,supporting the antecedent model,the Engine Model of Well-Being and Telic/Goal Theory.Self-compassion is a positive inner resource that will have beneficial effects by impacting people’s decision making and choices.Also,self-compassion can help reduce the negative effects concerning setbacks and failure,facilitating achieving goals,and therefore improving subjective well-being and psychological well-being.In study two,a daily diary study was conducted to unravel the relations among daily self-compassion,daily subjective well-being and daily psychological wellbeing.Due to retrospective bias in the longitudinal design in study one,a diary design can effectively reduce it by asking participants how they are feeling “today”and thus has more ecological validity.A total of 243 university students took part in this research for 14 consecutive days,reporting their daily self-compassion,daily subjective well-being and daily psychological well-being every night.The results were also in accordance with the antecedent model,the Engine Model of Well-Being and Telic/Goal Theory,suggesting that self-compassion plays a predictive role in future subjective well-being and psychological well-being.Study three employed a three-wave longitudinal design,examining the mediating role of needs satisfaction in the associations between self-compassion and two types of well-being.One hundred and fifty-three students reported their selfcompassion,subjective well-being,psychological well-being and needs satisfaction three times,with an interval of four months each.The findings support the SelfDetermination Theory and the Positive Activity Model.Mediation analysis found that self-compassion at time 1 relates to subjective well-being and psychological well-being at time 3 through the mediating role of needs satisfaction at time 2.In conclusion,this thesis systematically investigated the association between self-compassion,well-being(i.e.,subjective well-being and psychological wellbeing)and the underlying mechanism of the self-compassion-well-being relationships.The results show the predictive role of self-compassion on future wellbeing,and that needs satisfaction mediates the effects of self-compassion on two types of well-being.These series of studies give new insights into the selfcompassion-well-being relationship and enriched relevant theories.Researchers and practitioners could develop and employ interventions based on self-compassion and/or needs satisfaction to improve individuals’ well-being.