A Simple Guide to Achieving Self-Acceptance

The mental health movement is normalizing therapy, psychiatric medications and self-work. However, one emotional sector people often struggle with is self-acceptance. Society belittles this concept by pushing diet pills, clothes, accessories, meal plan kits and other products, so it can be difficult to appreciate who you are without any products.

Consumers are increasing their awareness of harmful advertising and its impacts on mental health. Improving your self-acceptance can increase your quality of life. There are five simple ways to enhance your well-being every day and quiet all that external noise.

What Is Self-Acceptance?

Some people are unaware of how self-acceptance influences their daily lives. It’s not automatic or a default state, and many struggle to achieve it.

Self-acceptance represents the complete acceptance of one’s mind, body and soul. Most people accept their positive attributes and try to change their less desirable ones. However, if you are constantly judging yourself, trying to lose weight or spending large sums of money on beauty products, you probably struggle with self-acceptance.

Practicing self-acceptance is crucial to your mental and physical well-being. Improving self-perception can reduce stress and lower the risk of disease. Feeling anxious about your body also increases your blood pressure, frequency of headaches, fatigue and other uncomfortable feelings.

What Influences Self-Acceptance?

The leading influence on individuals’ self-acceptance is their parents. Parents that neglect their children, engage in negative body talk, and define good and bad body traits influence poor self-esteem.

Children that grow up around adults who have had plastic surgery often feel less confident and content with their physical features. They may feel pressured to strive for an ideal appearance and feel bad about themselves if they fall short.

College preparatory schools also influence students’ self-acceptance. Kids who would rather attend trade school after graduation or take a gap year are usually viewed negatively.

Regardless of where your poor self-perception stemmed from, you have the power to access a happy and healthy life.

1. Practice Gratitude

The first step toward self-acceptance is practicing gratitude. You can integrate this into your daily life by journaling, writing down three things you are grateful for every day.

Expressing gratitude towards others also helps with self-acceptance. Savoring the feeling of gratitude also improves your mental health. Being kind to ourselves and grateful for each day sounds simple and it can make a significant impact on our lives.

2. Meditate

Improve your self-acceptance by regularly meditating. Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit for a few minutes. Then, get into a comfortable seated position and focus on breathing patterns.

Bring your attention back to your breathing if you find your mind starting to wander. Meditating a few times a week may train your brain to focus on the present and slow down negative thoughts.

3. Take Good Care of Your Body

Many people are familiar with feeling hangry. The way we treat our bodies directly impacts our mental health. Eating whole foods regularly can prevent negative thoughts and provide you with the energy to practice self-care.

Establishing a daily skin care routine may also impact self-acceptance. Light therapy can improve complexions. Blue lights, in particular, may help people struggling with stubborn acne.

Rather than try to change your appearance, work on feeling physically better. That could mean joining a gym to get back in shape, or indulging in a massage to help ease muscle pain and tension.

4. Define Your Support System

Consider what you want from your community before building your support system. It is essential to find support from friends that share common interests. You may find support from family members if you struggle with social connections.

People can rely on their support system to talk through mental health struggles. Your community may help you improve your self-acceptance by normalizing your issues and offering compassion to limit stress.

5. Break Old Patterns

The final step to improving your self-acceptance is breaking old patterns. It is challenging to feel good about yourself if you grew up around negative body talk. Changing instinctual thoughts can help you access a positive self-perception.

Break old thought patterns by identifying them and engaging in the opposite action. Over time, the positive thoughts will come naturally. Improving your self-acceptance can boost your health and quality of life.

The Benefits of Self-Acceptance

You can reduce your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and other adverse health conditions by practicing self-acceptance. You can also improve your children’s well-being by portraying general acceptance. A bit of care can create positive, stress-free environments for yourself and your loved ones.