5 Important Reasons To Accept Yourself As You Are

Wondering why it is important to accept yourself as you are? Well, you’re the best version of yourself, and that’s your superpower – so own it, and be proud. Check these reasons to accept yourself.

It’s a fact that many of us struggle to accept ourselves fully. We find it easy to acknowledge our strengths but when it comes to accepting our weaknesses and flaws, we tend to over-criticize & feel low about how we are.

Lack of self-acceptance leads to anxiety and stress, making us unhappy – and eventually, impacts our overall life choices.

Before we go deeper into understanding why it’s important to accept ourselves as we are, let us first focus on what self-acceptance means. 

What is ‘self-acceptance’?

To put it simply, self-acceptance is when you accept yourself wholly – both your positive and negative traits.

It means completely acknowledging your truest self, without attaching any judgment on who you are. Self-acceptance leads to self-love, which is extremely important for our well-being.

How do you achieve ‘self-acceptance’?

Working on self-acceptance can be challenging initially, but once you start embracing yourself consciously, you’ll soon realize the benefits of it.

Here are a few steps that would help you develop better self-acceptance with adequate practice over time.

Step 1 – Forgive yourself for your mistakes. Don’t punish yourself.

Step 2 – Learn from your mistakes, and move on. Don’t hold onto them.

Step 3 – Stop comparing yourself with others. Indulge in what you do best.

Step 4 – Be mindful rather than trying to be perfect.

Step 5 – Love yourself a little more with each passing day.

Unconditional self-acceptance is an ongoing process and it’s essential for your mental and emotional health.

Reasons to accept yourself as you are:

1. Self-acceptance will make you feel happier.

“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.” ― Amy Bloom.

We are often too critical about our own selves and think lowly about the qualities we possess. But once we accept ourselves as we are, we tend to be happier and more at peace.

None of us are perfect and we are all made of flaws – but often, we struggle to accept them. Happiness is more than just a feeling – it’s a sense of being – something that will grow the more you practice.

And it’ll only be possible when you are comfortable in your own skin. 

2. Self-acceptance will help you steer through new opportunities.

“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” – His Holiness The Dalai Lama XIV.

Each one of us has a unique perspective and we are all blessed with some incredible qualities. But often, we are too caught up with what others want us to do or what would make us look good to the world, rather than focusing on what makes us happy.

It’s only when we are fully aware of what we are really good at and accept our true potentials, new doors will open for us and we’d be able to steer through new opportunities.

By accepting what makes you individual, you’ll be creating a space for discovery to explore interests that, otherwise, you may have not given time to.

You’ll always excel more in things that you choose to do, and create your own identity in the path that’s carved for you. 

3. Self-acceptance will encourage you to stop comparing yourself to others.

“Wanting to be someone else is a waste of who you are.” ― Kurt Cobain.

In today’s date, social media has a major impact on our lives, and we often end up spending hours scrolling through the feeds to see what’s happening in others’ lives.

We keep comparing ourselves with others – wondering how the other person is always traveling, or how they afford to wear fancy clothes, or how they manage to dine out so often.

There have been several times when I compared myself with others and wanted to be more beautiful, and successful – eventually, it led me to self-criticism and prolonged sadness.

But once I stopped comparing myself with others, I was more at peace with myself. I realized that I’m stronger than I thought I was, and embraced the fact that the people I looked up to, had their own struggles in life.

4. Self-acceptance will make you more grateful.

“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” ― Lucille Ball.

when you embrace yourself as you are, your perspective towards life will change. You’ll love yourself more, feel confident about your decisions, and count your blessings more than ever.

Being grateful for the little things in life needs practice, and it’s not something that’ll just happen overnight.

But once you start looking at all that you’ve achieved, you’ll realize that you’re more capable of chasing your passion and goals, than you thought you are.

You’ll stop beating yourself up for your failures, and appreciate the lessons you’ve learned. You can also maintain a gratitude journal, and keep a note of the happy moments – times when you felt good about something you did or felt loved – and flip through the pages on dull days.

5. Self-acceptance will enhance your self-worth, making you feel more confident and courageous.

“I now see how owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.” ― Brené Brown.

Accepting yourself as you are will nurture your relationship with your own self, making you feel more worthy of love, connections, and belonging in general.

You’ll not be seeking validation from others, and tend to be more courageous about your actions. You’ll be confident about chasing your dreams, honing your passion and skills. 

So, would you take a step to accept yourself as you are? In case you have a self-acceptance story to share with us, drop us a comment below. We’d love to hear from you.