7 tips to work on self-acceptance and look carefully at yourself

The act of getting to know and loving yourself first is essential for achieving quality of life and a self-care routine. Seeing your strengths and weaknesses and understanding your imperfections generates an individual freedom that allows you to live without fear of your authenticity. This is self-acceptance! To clarify doubts about the subject, check out what psychologist Yanna Cano de Oliveira Toneatti says (CRP 06|162600).

What is self-acceptance

According to the psychologist, self-acceptance is directly related to the perception that an individual has about himself, his self-knowledge. Yanna explains that the act of accepting oneself goes beyond the feeling of self-esteem and self-love. “Self-acceptance allows you to feel good about yourself, even with frustrations. It is understanding and accepting both the good and the bad things, it is not something stagnant”, explains the professional, who also adds “if accepting is understanding that there are good and bad things, but that this, in itself, is not bad”.

The therapist also states that the process of self-knowledge that builds self-acceptance involves changes necessary for individual evolution. According to Yanna, “when we accept ourselves, we create responsibility for our actions and way of being, which gives us the opportunity to change”. However, the psychologist emphasizes that the changes are not an impediment to the exercise of self-love, but an act of freedom and authenticity: “you can accept yourself and keep changing always, this is love for who you are”.

Another relevant issue to be put on the agenda is the impacts caused by social networks in the technological era. The professional says that social media can often influence the self-acceptance of individuals, especially for the female audience. “There are almost always comparisons and role models. It will never be possible to fit perfectly into a model because each person is unique,” ​​she says. In addition, Yanna points out the psychic suffering that involves the imposed standards and makes an appeal, “please get out of these boxes, there is a lot that doesn’t fit there and that’s wonderful”.

Self-acceptance X self-esteem

Do self-acceptance and self-esteem represent the same thing? Due to the similarity between these two words, there may be a little confusion regarding their meanings, but Yanna points out that there are differences.

According to the psychologist, although self-esteem is related to self-acceptance, they are not the same thing. The first concerns the value that an individual places on himself, which usually involves certain evaluations about his appearance, behavior, relationships, etc. While the second has to do with the feelings that the person has about themselves. “Self-esteem can be affected if something doesn’t go as expected or when there’s something you don’t like about yourself, etc., and that’s where self-acceptance comes in. If the person accepts himself as he is, he will understand that it doesn’t have to be bigger than him”, explains the professional.

The psychotherapist points out that “self-acceptance helps keep our self-esteem balanced”. In this way, it is possible to understand that while self-esteem may fluctuate over time, self-acceptance involves self-knowledge and, consequently, confidence in being who you are.

7 tips on how to work on self-acceptance and exercise self-love

Anyone who thinks that self-acceptance cannot be developed and worked on is wrong. As the psychologist stated above, the process of accepting yourself “is not something stagnant”, which is why she listed a series of tips that can help you on this journey of personal evolution. Check out:

Remember you are the only one

Understanding your subjectivity and differences is the first step in the process of self-acceptance, after all, the imposition of standards can often confuse the perception you have about yourself. “Start doing the daily exercise of remembering that you are unique, and that’s not a bad thing. Only you can learn what is good or bad for you, so start enjoying yourself”, recommends the professional.

Beware of comparisons

Comparing yourself to other people is a bad habit for those who want to work on self-acceptance, which is exactly why the psychologist emphasizes: “stop comparing yourself! Or at least be more realistic in the comparisons.” Yanna also explains that comparing your body, appearance or performance can cause a lot of psychic suffering, as each person is unique and must have their own pace and experiences within their personal reality.

Take responsibility for your life

The psychotherapist explains that “when we blame other people, situations or things there is nothing we can do, but when we take responsibility we have the choice to change”. Being responsible for your attitudes helps in self-knowledge and in the development of your individuality, considering that when you are sure of your actions, external opinion is less likely to generate negative impacts.

Reflect on your self-perception

Often you may not realize why you perceive or act negatively on yourself, which is why a self-assessment is important. “Ask yourself, why am I feeling this way? What can I do? How to deal with it?”, indicates the psychologist. She explains that from these questions the person can better understand their life choices. According to the professional, “you have the power to choose what to do. When other things affect us, we always have the choice of how to deal with it.”

Have empathy for yourself

Control your self-criticism and take it easy on yourself. Excessive demands and rigor hinder the acceptance process and generate suffering. “Learn to listen to yourself and talk to yourself the same way you do to those you care about” recommends the psychologist who also points out: “we are generally kinder and better listeners to others and more demanding and tougher with ourselves”.

Pay attention to what surrounds you daily

The professional recommends more attention in everyday life. Things like a comment from someone you know, a post on social media, or a scene on TV can have a negative influence on your self-perception. Therefore, Yanna indicates: “consume content that makes you grow and not diminish you. In the same way, surround yourself with people who help you grow, not hurt you.” It is essential to surround yourself with constructive things and people in a process of evolution!

do psychotherapy

Even doing a daily self-analysis and taking care of yourself, it is extremely important to carry out a psychotherapeutic follow-up in this process. A negative self-perception and low self-esteem contribute to psychic suffering and interfere with quality of life. “Seek professional help, do psychotherapy. Don’t wait for it to explode to clean and tidy everything up. Go before, so there won’t be so much suffering and you can learn a lot about how to deal with frustration and enjoy your life”, points out the psychologist.

In addition, Yanna leaves an important message: “always remember that each person is unique, so the way of dealing and living is the person who needs to find and learn, but always with help, patience, remembering that it is a process and with realistic goals. ”, and ends “Love is not reserved for what is perfect for the world, it is what is perfect for you”.

Accepting yourself is something amazing and transformative. Respect who you are, love yourself, welcome yourself, be satisfied! And if you still need a little help to work on self-acceptance, check out these great tips on self-esteem too!

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.