How to Do a Compassion Break

Who this is for: Anyone experiencing a moment of self-criticism, guilt, or emotional difficulty and wanting a structured, brief practice to work through it.

The Compassion Break is the app's core practice — a guided 3-step sequence taking under two minutes. Priya uses it at 7:15 AM as a consistent morning ritual. Marcus reaches for it when his inner critic spikes, particularly on Wednesdays when he transitions custody of his kids and the guilt intensifies.

Steps

1. Open the app and tap the Compassion Break button. On the Home screen, the Compassion Break button is prominently placed at the top of the screen. Tap it to begin. The practice launches immediately — no setup required.

2. Step 1 — Mindfulness (Acknowledge Pain). The first screen guides you to notice and name what you're feeling, without judgment or analysis. A prompt appears such as: "What is difficult right now? Take a moment to acknowledge it." You may type a brief note or simply read the prompt and sit with it. The goal is recognition, not resolution. When ready, tap Next.

3. Step 2 — Common Humanity (You Are Not Alone). The second screen shifts perspective. A reflection prompt appears: "This moment of difficulty is part of being human. Many others are feeling something similar right now." Some users find it helpful to think of a specific person who might understand. You don't need to do anything except read and let the idea land. Tap Next when it feels true enough to continue.

4. Step 3 — Self-Kindness (Offer Yourself Care). The third screen invites you to say something kind to yourself — the kind of thing you might say to a friend going through the same thing. A sample phrase appears as a starting point. You can use it as-is or adapt it mentally to fit your situation. Tap Complete when you're done.

5. Complete the mood check-in (optional). After the practice ends, the app prompts you to log your current emotional state. This is optional but recommended — it takes about 5 seconds and feeds your Progress tab data over time.

Expected Outcome

The practice is logged in your history. If you completed the mood check-in, that data is saved to your Progress tab. Most people notice a subtle shift — a sense of being slightly less alone with the difficulty, or a reduction in the internal pressure of self-criticism. The practice does not resolve the underlying issue, but it changes how you're relating to it.

Notes

• The Compassion Break is available on the free tier with no account required.
• It works offline — the three steps are delivered on-device with no network dependency.
• You can do a Compassion Break as many times per day as you need. There is no limit.
• If you find Step 2 (Common Humanity) hard to believe in the moment — that's normal and worth noting. The practice is most powerful precisely when that step feels least true.
• The mood check-in is optional. You can skip it by tapping Skip without affecting the practice log.