Self-acceptance is generally described as a person’s acceptance of all of their natural attributes, even if they are positive or negative.

It includes acceptance of one’s physical body, self-protection from negative criticism, and belief in one’s capabilities.

Factors that affect a person

Self-acceptance is important. If you do not accept yourself for who you really are, you will encounter problems that will have both an internal and external impact on your life.

Some of these problems will affect you personally and some will affect how others treat you.

• Low self-esteem: You tend to deny who you really are and are blind to what you really want.
• Living a lie: You tend to force yourself to be what you are not. The result is having to live a false life. If you feel that you are living a life which is not reflective of who you really are as a person, perhaps you have this problem.
• Unhappiness: This is the result of ignoring your inner voice and your heart.
• Becoming a victim: If you do not accept yourself for who you really are, you may believe what others tell you and become a victim.

Overcoming your troubles

If you can build your self-confidence, you will be free from self-criticism and can start facing the challenges in your life and succeed.

Imagine feeling at ease when surrounded by people, confidently speaking in public and feeling good about yourself without shyness or fear.

If you accept yourself for who you are, you can also value yourself better and show others that they too should respect who you are. You will also be able to accept others and not judge them based on your standards.

Self-acceptance means that you are happy with who and what you are. However, it does not mean that you give up any hope of change or improvement.

Self-acceptance is actually the first step towards self-improvement because you need to see the truth about yourself and accept it first, only then decide whether you want to change it or not.

How to bolster self-acceptance

• Spend time thinking about who you are (your personality, your background, etc.)
• Understand that there are both positive and negative aspects of who you are and you should accept these.
• Identify the things about yourself that you don’t like. First, acknowledge these and accept them, then find a way to improve.
• Stop trying to be something you’re not. It is always better to be just “you”.

Fortunately, self-acceptance is something you can nurture. Think of it as a skill you can practice versus an innate trait you either have or don’t.

This article first appeared in hellodoktor.com and was reviewed by Hello Doktor’s medical panel. The Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.