Self-acceptance can be hard. But it shouldn’t be – it should be natural and easy!

Self-acceptance is freeing because when you love, accept, and cherish who you are It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or says about you.

Here are 10 tips to help you accept yourself just as you are.

1. Seek YOUR Own Approval

Stop seeking external validation. Validate yourself internally. Be you. Love you. Care about you. You don’t need anyone to complete you. Stop giving away your energy and power by seeking the approval or opinions of others. Let no one define you. Not your friends, followers, fans, or even your boss. You get to decide who and what you are. So define yourself and create your life.

2. Be Authentic

Be yourself. Live your life. Pursue activities and interests that you enjoy and love. Don’t conform. Embrace your individuality.

3. Be Your Own Best Friend

Practice patience and forgiveness with yourself. Cut yourself some slack. Know that you’re making the best decisions you can with the information you have. Appreciate and reward yourself for doing your best. Give yourself some credit.  

4. Play and Have Fun

Life is more than hustle and grind. Have fun. Enjoy the journey. Don’t wait around for “someday” because “someday” never comes. Live now.

5. Care for Yourself

Practice and enjoy activities that nurture your mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health. Take time for you. Enjoy rituals that sooth your soul. Invest in yourself, whether it’s yoga, mediation, going to the gym, writing, journaling, volunteering, reading, or a leisurely sunset stroll in the evening. Take time for self-nurturing.

6. Your Thoughts Matter

Your thoughts and opinions are important – they matter every bit as much as anyone else’s. Don’t shy away from your wants, desires and beliefs. Don’t settle or lower your standards.

7. Pursue Your Dreams

Decide what kind of life you want to live and then go about creating it! Live your life. Don’t live your life based on how other people think you should live. Live the life YOU want. Believe in yourself and your capabilities. Go after what you want.

8. Practice Self-Awarenenss

Being self-aware is being in tune with your feelings, behavior and thoughts. It’s taking time to see how you  feel physically. It’s figuring out what triggers you, and how you respond to certain situations. Self-Awareness is getting to know yourself, who you are, how things are going, and what you want.

9.  Be Responsible and Optimistic

If you make a mistake, own up to it; learn from it. Everyone makes mistakes. Owning up to them is a sign of strength. It’s what you do after making a mistake that matters.

10. Use Positive Language

When you talk to yourself, and we all do, say something positive and nice. Be a good friend to yourself. Positive self-talk improves physical and emotional health, and enhances overall well-being. When you catch yourself saying something negative about yourself to yourself, shift focus and say something positive and nice instead.  

Embrace the amazing power of self-acceptance. The power that you need is already inside you. It’s your choice whether you’ll accept yourself or not. Be authentic, and live your life focused on what matters most.