Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCharacteristicsImportance of Self-AcceptanceLearning Self-Acceptance

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Table of Contents

Characteristics

Importance of Self-Acceptance

Learning Self-Acceptance

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Self-acceptance is the ability to accept both your strengths and your personal faults without judgment,saysMeghan Marcum, PsyD, chief psychologist at AMFM Healthcare.

None of us are perfect—we all have things we would like toimproveabout ourselves. However, some people are able to accept their shortcomings; whereas others fixate on them and become their own worst critics.

This article explores the characteristics of self-acceptance, discusses its importance, and suggests some strategies that can help you learn to accept yourself.

Characteristics of Self-Acceptance

According to Dr. Marcum, these are some of the characteristics of self-acceptance:

On the other hand, lack of self-acceptance can lead to a fractured sense of self deep within yoursubconscious, where one part of you is angry, upset, annoyed, ashamed, or disappointed with another part of you.These fragmented parts can only reconcile when you forgive and accept yourself.

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Below, Dr. Marcum explains why self-acceptance is important and the negative consequences of being unable to accept oneself.

Benefits of Self-Acceptance

When you are accepting of yourself you tend toworry less about what others think. This helps you view situations with more clarity and makes you less likely to take on harsh criticism of yourself.

How you feel about yourself can also play an important role in determining your overall well-being. A 2018 study notes that self-acceptance can help instill a sense of well-being, which in turn helps you build quality relationships with others and ensures personal growth and development.

Meghan Marcum, PsyDSelf-acceptance helps you feel better about yourself and makes you feel capable of dealing with life’s challenges.

Meghan Marcum, PsyD

Self-acceptance helps you feel better about yourself and makes you feel capable of dealing with life’s challenges.

What Happens When You Don’t Accept Yourself

On the other hand, Harvard Medical School notes that lack of self-acceptance can be harmful to your health and your psychological well-being.

In fact, a 2014 study found that havinglow self-esteemand a negative view of oneself was linked to lower levels of gray matter in parts of the brain that regulate emotions and manage stress.This can increase one’s risk of emotional disorders and stress-related health conditions.

As a result, lack of self-acceptance can lead to:

Meghan Marcum, PsyDWithout self-acceptance, people essentially devalue themselves and this often has a negative impact on all areas of their life, including their work, friends, family, health, and well-being.

Without self-acceptance, people essentially devalue themselves and this often has a negative impact on all areas of their life, including their work, friends, family, health, and well-being.

Dr. Marcum suggests some strategies that can help you learn to accept yourself:

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A Word From Verywell

Accepting yourself can help you be happy and peaceful, and lead to a sense of well-being.On the other hand, lack of self-acceptance and a negative view of yourself can cause you to havelow self-confidenceand a greater risk of conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to promote self-acceptance. Focus on your strengths, avoid blaming yourself for things beyond your control, and most importantly, forgive yourself for your mistakes.

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10 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Morgado FF, Campana AN, Tavares Mda C.Development and validation of the self-acceptance scale for persons with early blindness: the SAS-EB.PLoS One. 2014;9(9):e106848. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106848Columbia University.What does “self-acceptance” feel like?Anderson University.Self-acceptance and self-compassion.Virginia Department of Health.Self-acceptance.Klussman K, Curtin N, Langer J, Nichols AL.The importance of awareness, acceptance, and alignment with the self: a framework for understanding self-connection.Eur J Psychol. 2022;18(1):120-131. doi:10.5964/ejop.3707Su H, Wang L, Li Y, Yu H, Zhang J.The mediating and moderating roles of self-acceptance and self-reported health in the relationship between self-worth and subjective well-being among elderly Chinese rural empty-nesters: An observational study.Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(28):e16149. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000016149Harvard Medical School.Greater self-acceptance improves emotional well-being.Bingöl TY, Batik MV.Unconditional self-acceptance and perfectionistic cognitions as predictors of psychological well-being.Agroskin D, Klackl J, Jonas E.The self-liking brain: a VBM study on the structural substrate of self-esteem.PLoS One. 2014;9(1):e86430. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0086430Zeng X, Chiu CP, Wang R, Oei TP, Leung FY.The effect of loving-kindness meditation on positive emotions: a meta-analytic review.Front Psychol. 2015;6:1693. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01693

10 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Morgado FF, Campana AN, Tavares Mda C.Development and validation of the self-acceptance scale for persons with early blindness: the SAS-EB.PLoS One. 2014;9(9):e106848. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106848Columbia University.What does “self-acceptance” feel like?Anderson University.Self-acceptance and self-compassion.Virginia Department of Health.Self-acceptance.Klussman K, Curtin N, Langer J, Nichols AL.The importance of awareness, acceptance, and alignment with the self: a framework for understanding self-connection.Eur J Psychol. 2022;18(1):120-131. doi:10.5964/ejop.3707Su H, Wang L, Li Y, Yu H, Zhang J.The mediating and moderating roles of self-acceptance and self-reported health in the relationship between self-worth and subjective well-being among elderly Chinese rural empty-nesters: An observational study.Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(28):e16149. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000016149Harvard Medical School.Greater self-acceptance improves emotional well-being.Bingöl TY, Batik MV.Unconditional self-acceptance and perfectionistic cognitions as predictors of psychological well-being.Agroskin D, Klackl J, Jonas E.The self-liking brain: a VBM study on the structural substrate of self-esteem.PLoS One. 2014;9(1):e86430. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0086430Zeng X, Chiu CP, Wang R, Oei TP, Leung FY.The effect of loving-kindness meditation on positive emotions: a meta-analytic review.Front Psychol. 2015;6:1693. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01693

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Morgado FF, Campana AN, Tavares Mda C.Development and validation of the self-acceptance scale for persons with early blindness: the SAS-EB.PLoS One. 2014;9(9):e106848. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106848Columbia University.What does “self-acceptance” feel like?Anderson University.Self-acceptance and self-compassion.Virginia Department of Health.Self-acceptance.Klussman K, Curtin N, Langer J, Nichols AL.The importance of awareness, acceptance, and alignment with the self: a framework for understanding self-connection.Eur J Psychol. 2022;18(1):120-131. doi:10.5964/ejop.3707Su H, Wang L, Li Y, Yu H, Zhang J.The mediating and moderating roles of self-acceptance and self-reported health in the relationship between self-worth and subjective well-being among elderly Chinese rural empty-nesters: An observational study.Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(28):e16149. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000016149Harvard Medical School.Greater self-acceptance improves emotional well-being.Bingöl TY, Batik MV.Unconditional self-acceptance and perfectionistic cognitions as predictors of psychological well-being.Agroskin D, Klackl J, Jonas E.The self-liking brain: a VBM study on the structural substrate of self-esteem.PLoS One. 2014;9(1):e86430. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0086430Zeng X, Chiu CP, Wang R, Oei TP, Leung FY.The effect of loving-kindness meditation on positive emotions: a meta-analytic review.Front Psychol. 2015;6:1693. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01693

Morgado FF, Campana AN, Tavares Mda C.Development and validation of the self-acceptance scale for persons with early blindness: the SAS-EB.PLoS One. 2014;9(9):e106848. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106848

Columbia University.What does “self-acceptance” feel like?

Anderson University.Self-acceptance and self-compassion.

Virginia Department of Health.Self-acceptance.

Klussman K, Curtin N, Langer J, Nichols AL.The importance of awareness, acceptance, and alignment with the self: a framework for understanding self-connection.Eur J Psychol. 2022;18(1):120-131. doi:10.5964/ejop.3707

Su H, Wang L, Li Y, Yu H, Zhang J.The mediating and moderating roles of self-acceptance and self-reported health in the relationship between self-worth and subjective well-being among elderly Chinese rural empty-nesters: An observational study.Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(28):e16149. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000016149

Harvard Medical School.Greater self-acceptance improves emotional well-being.

Bingöl TY, Batik MV.Unconditional self-acceptance and perfectionistic cognitions as predictors of psychological well-being.

Agroskin D, Klackl J, Jonas E.The self-liking brain: a VBM study on the structural substrate of self-esteem.PLoS One. 2014;9(1):e86430. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0086430

Zeng X, Chiu CP, Wang R, Oei TP, Leung FY.The effect of loving-kindness meditation on positive emotions: a meta-analytic review.Front Psychol. 2015;6:1693. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01693

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