Let's talk about acceptance. What is it and how can it be applied to your health?
Acceptance is defined as a willingness to experience personal or private events, without trying to change them or the situation where they occur. Basically, it's a self-regulation strategy based on an open and welcoming attitude towards one's own emotions, thoughts, or external events.
Why is acceptance important you might ask? Acceptance is crucial for recovery. This includes recovery from traumatic events, medical trauma and other processes in life that you have little to no control over. Learning to accept where we are in life and the circumstances that brought us there is vital for healing emotional and physical pain. Acceptance helps build compassion. And not just self-compassion but compassion for your fellow man and the struggles we all face in life. It's important to recognize, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
When you are unable to accept that which is, you are living a life of denial. You will suffer because your idea of what life should be, does not match what is actually happening. Without a level of acceptance for that which is, you will suffer because your thoughts are out of alignment with reality. Fighting reality is a battle you can never win. This constant battle will lead to more health-related problems, mental and physical. In accepting reality, that doesn't mean you give up on trying to lead a better or more healthy life. It simply means you accept life for what it is right now and more forward with hope for a brighter future.
With acceptance you stop worrying and over-thinking that which you cannot change. This frees up massive amounts of energy that can better serve you by helping you heal, mind, body and soul.
How do we learn acceptance around all difficult situations? Not just health related trauma but in dealing with circumstances outside of our control? First and foremost, notice the resistance. See what it is inside of you that you are fighting against and actively change that awareness to a more accepting attitude. Ask yourself, can you change the circumstances? Question those old patterns of thinking and work on developing self-compassion. With a little time and effort, you can develop your skills at accepting that which is, and through this process you can lead a healthier life!
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