Self-Acceptance and Boundaries

Self-judgment and comparison are barriers to experiencing the fullness of yourself and the present moment.

Difficulties with self-acceptance are not just a personal problem, but a result of relational trauma and our society’s unrealistic expectations. We often don’t make space for what it means to be human-to be imperfect, to experience suffering, to have limitations and health issues, or have a different body size. We also don’t make space for our needs, such as rest, play, autonomy, and connection. Instead, in an effort to meet our basic human needs of acceptance and belonging, we sacrifice ourselves, leading to poor boundaries and non-reciprocal relationships.

Maybe you:

• Monitor and dislike your body, trying to control how it looks and how it functions

• Have a harsh inner critic that is quick to judge you

• Feel unworthy, inadequate, like you’re never doing enough or good enough

• Often feel guilty or embarrassed

• Feel the need to be liked by everyone or be perfect

• Rarely say “no”, pushing your own needs down to meet other people’s needs and avoid conflict

Have you noticed how depleting and unsustainable this feels?