November 20
Self Acceptance
Self acceptance is not the default state for everyone. Self acceptance is the state of being accepting of every part of oneself.
“[Self-acceptance is] an individual’s acceptance of all of [their] attributes, positive or negative.” (Seltzer 2008)
Did you know that greater self acceptance increases your emotional wellbeing? Self acceptance should not rely on you accomplishing great things. It can be there through your ups and downs.
Today’s page aims to walk you through the aspects of self acceptance and how to set yourself on a path to acceptance.
Here are your check in questions:
1. What are three ways you talk positively to yourself?
2. What are three things you like about yourself? How does the idea of self acceptance make you feel?
3. What is one thing about yourself that you would like to work to accept? How do you feel when you accept a new thing about yourself?
activities to achieve self acceptance
Understanding the difference between self esteem and self acceptance
Self esteem can change, go up and down, with our achievements and failures. It’s more a measure of our confidence in ourselves.
Self acceptance is accepting failures, successes, strengths and weaknesses, and all the qualities about ourselves. It requires a more realistic view of oneself and achieving peace with that.
One way to do that is to engage in self awareness. Ask yourself:
Does this one mistake/flaw have to be a bad thing? This is a weakness, perhaps, but everyone has that. Can you give yourself that space to make mistakes and have flaws?
What bugs you about yourself? See these without judgement.
Reframing negative thoughts and situations
When you come across a difficult time, try:
Take a pause from your negative self talk.
Assess the situation of what you can do going forward. Don’t think about others’ reactions or dwell on the past.
You made a mistake. How can you see this as a chance for growth? Name one area that you know you can work on in the future.
See the fact that you are getting through the challenge as a sign of your strength and resilience rather than a sign of your failure.
