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Having self-respect does not mean you are overly confident or even arrogant; it means you have confidence within yourself. It is a form of self- love.

Having Self-Respect means you are able to valid yourself, and that you are able to accept validation from other people such as family, peers, or even strangers.

Through self-respect, you experience your sense of value; it also sets the standard for what you will allow from others.

Why is self-respect important?

Having respect for your self will ultimately support your well-being; a well-being that is dictated by other people.

Self-respect allows you to grow and become a better person. Others might look up to you or rely on your guidance, such as your children or siblings.

Sometimes people who lack self-respect may experience negative thoughts and, in the worst of times, self-destructive behaviors.

Struggles

It is relatively hard to admit it, but there was a time that I severely lacked self-respect.

I often downplayed my worth. I allowed myself to get lost in relationships – meaning I wasn’t real to myself, but rather transformed into who I believed I needed to be with certain people. I allowed myself to get lost in negative behaviors which could have been very destructive had I continued along that path.

Lacking self-respect, to a certain degree, is a gateway to other struggles that can eventually lead to difficult battles; mental and emotional battles where you may question your worth or question who loves you; as well as physical battles, where you may find yourself abusing alcohol and other drugs.

I think many people can relate to these feelings; unfortunately, they may not know how to gain self-respect to take back control of how they view themselves.

How Can I Respect Myself?

There are plenty of useful tips available to help you learn to respect yourself. I am going to advise on what I feel are the top 5 ways to demonstrate self-respect.

There may be a few tips that seem like “no brainers” or even cliché, but once utilized more and more over some time, you will start to see the change within yourself.

Respect your body

Respecting your body can range from what you eat, when and if you exercise, and even your choice to have piercings and tattoos.

Respect your weaknesses

Acknowledging any weakness that you may have does not mean you should have less respect for yourself. It means you have presented yourself with the chance to grow and even build yourself and your character.

Respect your failures

When or If you fail at something, it does not mean you are less than or incapable of anything. Failing is not a negative thing to experience, although it sometimes can feel like it.

Instead of feeling bad or losing any respect for yourself because of a failure, seize the opportunity to learn something and gain experience and even understanding.

Respect your company

You want to surround yourself with people who are positive influences on you and treat you the best way possible.

Respect and accept retaliation.

You are going to encounter people that do not necessarily agree with the changes that you are making within yourself to become a better person. They may react negatively towards you regarding these changes. Accept the need to either let them go – or to let their statements about you go – so you can continue to grow and be successful.

Eventually, practicing these self-respect tips on a daily bases will help you overcome any negative views that you may see in yourself.

Ultimately respecting yourself leads to better days – because not only have you formed a new outlook of yourself, but you experience the same respect in return from others.

The post Self-Respect Doesn’t Have To Be Hard. Read these 5 tips! appeared first on Heart-Centered Counselors.

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