The Importance Of Radical Acceptance
What is radical acceptance and why is it so important to cultivate as a self care practice. Radical acceptance is a term that is applied nowadays to fully accepting a situation, emotions or circumstances without judgment or resistance. It means to acknowledge and understand with out avoidance or denial that a situation is what it is without wishing it differently. Radical acceptance is understanding that by choosing to fight against it, by forcing or imposing the need for change, will only cause or create more stress and suffering, emotionally, mentally physically or spiritually instead of just allowing it to be what it is.
This ability allows an individual to let go or dissolve the desire for things to be different and find peace and contentment in the present moment. It can be a powerful tool used for managing difficult emotions, it reduces stress, anxiety, while improving on the overall wellbeing of an individual and helps with navigating challenging situations. It allows for a person to have no attachment to its pain which allows for the pain to not become the source of their suffering.
By practicing radical acceptance, you can learn to let go of the need for control, while finding freedom in acknowledging that some things are beyond our control and understand that we cannot change what is. This form of practice helps to navigate the ups and downs of life with dignity, grace and ease, while completely leaning into accepting ourselves, others and the world around us without judgment or resistance.
In using this approach we learn to embrace the journey of life, our imperfections and how to be fully present in difficult moments. It teaches us how to develop greater self-respect, empathy, compassion, and understanding towards yourself and others. This allows a person to build their resilience and be equipped to handle the challenges that show up or get in the way when life gets difficult.
Here are some ways that you can practice radical acceptance:
Acknowledge your feelings: The first step to radical acceptance is recognizing and acknowledging your emotions. Allow yourself to feel your emotions without judgment or criticism.
Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness can help you stay present in the moment and observe your thoughts and emotions without getting caught up in them. You can practice mindfulness through meditation, QiGong, or simply by paying attention to your breath.
Let go of control: Radical acceptance requires letting go of the need to control everything. Accept that some things are out of your control, and focus on what you can control.
Practice self-compassion: Be kind to yourself and practice self-compassion. Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding you would offer someone you cherish and love.
Reframe your thoughts: Instead of focusing on negative thoughts, reframe them in a more healthy positive light. For example, instead of thinking or saying "I can't do this," try practicing and saying instead "I'm doing the best I can right now."
Coaching with me is a healthy effective way to begin investigating and exploring how these practices mentioned above can help and support you, while offering deeper insight, understanding, clarity or validation in the areas that need attention.