Self Acceptance
In today’s world, we are surrounded by seemingly ‘perfect’ people, programmes, and lifestyles.
If you are a user of any of the many social media platforms, then I’m sure you have been exposed to the myth of perfection. The filters that make everyone look like a supermodel, ordinary people living lavish lifestyles.
None of this is reality, but it can make people feel as though the ordinary life you live is not good enough. This could not be further from the truth, time after time, people come into my therapy room feeling bad about themselves. Feeling as though no matter how hard they try or how much energy they put in, they will never be good enough.
This is not the truth, in reality, we are all living this messy life, full of ups and downs. Life is full of challenges and triumphs, no matter who you are or where you come from, none of us are immune to it.
Perfection is a myth!
So how do we overcome the habit of comparing ourselves to others? THIS is where self-acceptance comes in, I’m getting to the point….promise!
What is it? Well according to the Virginia Department of Health Self-acceptance is defined as an ‘acceptance of all one’s attributes both positive and negative’ in other words it is unconditional acceptance.
We all have things about us that are good, and we ALL have things about us that are flaws, in the time of social media most people forego the sharing of their flaws, but these people have flaws just like everyone else AND THAT IS OKAY!
A massive step towards improving mood, mental health, motivation and achieving your goals is being able to accept that you are flawed and love yourself anyway.
Perhaps you struggled to get everything done today? That’s ok, remember you need to rest to be productive, you cannot give from an empty pot. In other words, every time we do something for ourselves or someone else does something for us it goes into our pot, equally every time you do something for someone else it takes from your pot. It is easy to end up in a pattern of consistently giving without stopping to take the time to refill our pot, which leaves us feeling drained and lousy.
You are not failing, you are not behind the curve, your life is your very own journey completely unique, and YOU are in charge.
Its okay to be sad, that’s part of life.
Its okay to be happy.
Its okay to be angry sometimes.
Its okay to have good days, bad days, and downright ugly days.
GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK.
Its ok accept yourself for who you truly are flaws and all. You are perfectly human.
So how do we do this thing we call self-acceptance?
Yesterday you couldn’t get out of bed? Your body needs that rest, accept it, beating yourself up for having the recuperation you need is not going to help you be healthier and happier in the long run.
Today you managed to get all your errands done in record time? Appreciate your achievement, in your journey, this took motivation and energy.
See, self-acceptance is about going with the flow and allowing yourself to be fully human, some people are good at maths, some people are good at recalling information, and some people are rubbish at both those things but fantastic at baking.
You wouldn’t ridicule an elephant because it can't climb a tree, so stop placing unrealistic expectations on yourself. Know your strengths and your weaknesses, acknowledge them, and accept them.
