thepsyklife Self-acceptance is defined as “an individual’s acceptance of all of his/her attributes, positive or negative.” It includes body acceptance, self-protection from negative criticism, and believing in one’s capacities.
The term “self-acceptance” is of major importance. Some ways in which we accept ourselves can be;
~Making peace with who we are
~Becoming comfortable with ourself from major perspectives
~Accepting not only our strengths and accomplishments, but also our weaknesses and flaws.
Self acceptance is becoming comfortable in your own skin, the way we talk and what we do for a living, amongst other things.
Once we get this, no other person can invade our space and we have the self acceptance for a healthy functioning of ourselves.
So accept yourself the way you are because you’re beautiful inside out, even with flaws.
Now, there can be many reasons for a person having a low self acceptance, but mainly, since we develop our self-esteem, partly from others appreciating us, people with low self-acceptance may have had parents who lacked empathy during their childhood. As a consequence, in their adult lives, they may need much stronger affirmation from others than most people do.
Some other ways that can help with self acceptance are;
- Meditation: mindfulness and loving kindness meditation.
- Self regulation: Self-regulation involves suppressing negative emotions such as self-hatred, refocusing on the positive aspects of yourself, and reframing negative situations so that you see the opportunities in them
- Self awareness: This involves being aware of different aspects of the self including traits, behaviors, and feelings.
Not all methods for increasing self acceptance work for everyone. Since each individual is unique, it is most important to do what works best for you. Self-acceptance is key to a healthy emotional and psychological life. So start exploring what works for you.
In the Japanese tradition of kintsugi, broken things are repaired with gold (or silver) joinery, so that the repaired object is even lovelier than the original — and the breakage and repair becomes an important part of the object’s history, rather than something to disguise. Broken is beautiful.
