Self respect is one of the greatest gift you can ever give to yourself.in a world that breeds insecurity, you need to find ways to respect yourself. You won’t be able to find inner peace until you’re able to honestly say that you like whom you are as a person. Personal acceptance is difficult to accomplish, but it’s certainly possible. If you’re having trouble, here are some ways to respect yourself:
1. The Golden Rule
Since you were a child, you’ve probably heard that you should “treat others the way you want to be treated.” However, we often treat others better than we treat ourselves. We tear ourselves down, call ourselves names, and emotionally abuse ourselves. One of the ways to respect yourself is to stop acting like you deserve that abuse. Remember that you’re a valuable person worthy of happiness, and you’ll start to treat yourself differently.
2. Ignore Society’s Say
Don’t listen to everything the media tells you. It’s okay if you don’t have the same morals that the world tries to enforce on you. If you’re happy with the way you’re living your life, that’s all that matters. You get to determine what your definition of ‘respect’ is. It’s certainly not the same for everyone.
3. Have Higher Expectations
Your expectations of others shouldn’t be unrealistically high, but you shouldn’t take less than you deserve either. If you let people get away with treating you poorly, then they’ll continue to do so. You have to show others that you have confidence, and won’t be pushed around. You don’t have to start a fight with someone who disrespects you, but you can simply walk away.
4. Define ‘Respect’
In order to respect yourself, you have to determine what your definition of ‘respect’ is. Different people view the word in different ways. Create a mental list of all of the qualities that you associate with respect. Maybe ‘kindness’ is on your list, or ‘intelligence.’ By mapping out what you believe respect entails, it’ll be easier for you to try to make yourself into a respectable person.
5. Offer An Opinion
Don’t do something simply because someone orders you to do so. If your friends are all going out, but you would rather stay home, then stay home. If you’re peer pressured into things, you’re not doing what you really want to do. You have to be yourself, and put your foot down when the time comes.
6. Just Don’t Judge
The nicer you are to others, the easier it will be to be nicer to yourself. Remember the golden rule that we discussed earlier. It’s important to treat others kindly, and they’ll most likely return the favor. Whenever you find yourself insulting someone, even if it’s only in your mind, try to balance the negativity out by coming up with something you like about them. You don’t have to say it aloud. You can keep it all in your head.
7. Daily Compliments
All of the negative thoughts that fly through your mind on a daily basis are unhealthy. Try to compliment yourself at least once every single day. Think about a moment during the day where you were proud of something you accomplished, or just think about how proud you are of yourself for getting through the day at all. Before long, it’ll be easier to compliment yourself, and your self respect and confidence will skyrocket.
