Soothe ourselves in times of need: A qualitative exploration of how the feeling of 'soothe' is understood and experienced in everyday life

Objectives Evidence suggests that self-compassion is linked to psychological benefits. Compassion-focused therapy emphasizes the importance of developing abilities to self-soothe in alleviating psychological distress. However, little is known about how the feeling of soothe is understood, experienced, and achieved in everyday life. This study addressed two research questions: (1) How is the feeling of soothe understood? (2) How is the feeling of soothe experienced in everyday life? Design This is part of our ongoing research Project Soothe (), which collects soothing images from the public with the goal to develop a bank of soothing images for psychotherapeutic and research use. We also set up an online survey to explore how individuals understand and experience the feeling of soothe in everyday lives. The current study was based on the qualitative narratives obtained in this survey. Methods A total of 176 participants were recruited. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Three themes emerged in response to the first research question: (1) a complex interconnected state of feelings, (2) self-soothe and being soothed, and (3) involvement of physical sensations. Five themes emerged regarding the second research question: (1) venturing out in nature, (2) being in a familiar surrounding, (3) being solitary, (4) being affiliated, and (5) being physically and mentally relaxed. Conclusions Our study illustrated the importance of affiliations, physical sensations, mindfulness, connection with nature, and solitude on the cultivation of soothe. Results may help develop therapeutic techniques in enhancing self-soothe by tapping into individuals' understanding and subjective experience in everyday contexts. Practitioner points Compassion-focused therapy and related third wave therapies emphasize the role of cultivating self-compassion and feelings of self-soothe in reducing psychological distress and improving mental well-being. This study sheds light on how individuals understand and achieve self-soothe in everyday life contexts. Individuals' subjective narratives suggested that both being in solitude and affiliated with others were associated with feelings of self-soothe, in addition to feeling connected with the nature, being in familiar environments and experiencing physical sensations. These findings will help practitioners develop different ways to enhance individuals' self-compassion by tapping into their understanding and experience of self-soothe in everyday life.