What better way to self-care then to begin (or continue) the journey of self acceptance. First, what is self-acceptance?
Self Acceptance It means accepting yourself and all your personality traits as they are. Yes, that means the negative traits right along with the positive. Accepting yourself as a flawed human being and giving yourself the chance to learn and grow without internal judgement.
Why is self acceptance so important?
Control of Emotions: A lack of self-acceptance can affect the part of your brain responsible for controlling your emotions. This can lead to mental imbalance and emotional outbursts as a result of elevated anxiety, stress, or anger.
Forgiveness: Learning to accept yourself as you are helps you be less critical of yourself. It helps you create a more positive, compassionate, and balanced view of yourself. According to Dr. Srini Pillay of Harvard Medical School, acceptance and forgiveness go hand-in-hand. He says that the inability to accept and forgive ourselves causes us to split into different parts.
Self Confidence: When you are confident, you are more likely to take action even if you find yourself afraid. On the other hand, a lack of self-acceptance can hold you back and prevent you from going after your goals. Self-acceptance helps you realize that failure doesn’t define you and is always a learning opportunity on the path to success.
Self Acceptance Exercises
Gratitude: write down a few things you are grateful for every day.
Reframe Negative thoughts: First write them down and read them. Once you’ve written your list, go through each belief and reframe it. Start by challenging each statement by asking yourself: “Is this true?”
Support System: Have some reflection time to discover those in your life who are supportive and bring out the best in you. Cut out those who are toxic as much as possible.
