Imagine you made a new friend. You wouldn’t criticise them for every flaw or try to turn them into someone else. Yet many of us treat ourselves this way. Accepting yourself means offering yourself the kindness you’d give a friend.
Here are four gentle notes on accepting who you are.
1. Try the friend test
Before you say something harsh to yourself, ask, Would I say this to a friend? If not, try a gentler sentence.
2. You don’t have to earn kindness
You don’t need to find your purpose or achieve your goals before you deserve kindness. You can accept yourself today, just as you are.
3. Some things simply are
Some parts of you, like your height, your past or some of your natural tendencies, can’t be changed. Accepting them doesn’t mean you have to love them. It means you stop fighting them.
4. Acceptance and growth go together
Accepting yourself doesn’t mean you can’t change. You can still let go of habits that don’t serve you. In fact, growth often comes more easily from a place of kindness than from harsh criticism.
A gentle journey
Self-acceptance isn’t something you achieve once. It’s a practice you return to, especially on hard days.
How little is enough
Today, notice one harsh thought about yourself and replace it with a kinder one.
For more, read Self-compassion: 4 reasons being kind to yourself matters.
For a quiet place to write your way through this season, you’ll find a guided journal on the Guides page.