The guidelines that apply to relationships between yourself and another person also apply to your relationship with yourself! Listening, trusting, and communicating with your intuition are all integral parts of respecting yourself, which is vital to living in your personal truth. How can you be the best person you have the ability to be without respecting yourself in the same way you demand to be respected by others? The issue with respecting ourselves is that we typically don’t view the way we treat ourselves as either disrespectful or respectful. Some signals explained below will help you learn to begin respecting yourself better!
You may be disrespecting yourself if:
1. You find yourself consenting to time consuming commitments that aren’t both non-important to you and for which you haven’t adequate the time.
Respecting yourself includes respecting both your time and energy by utilizing your time on the people and endeavors that mean the most to you. Filling your days with too many activities and commitments won’t benefit you over the long-haul. Doing this simply takes time away from important self-care you should be engaging in that makes your body, mind, and spirit happy and healthy.
2. You pretend you’re a person you aren’t to gain the favor of others.
Most of us tried to make our lives appear different to others than it truly is to impress someone and gain their favor. Additionally, we are aware that we shouldn’t have to pretend we’re someone else, but we continue to carry on the charade, regardless. It’s the supreme sign of self-disrespect to believe that who you are isn’t good enough. The advice we’re given by our parents or caregivers as children is good advice; If you’re not considered good enough for particular people, then they aren’t people who are up to our standards.
3. You often agree what other people say as to not offend them.
Know that your opinions matter and if you hold them in, you’re telling yourself and those who surround you that your feelings are irrelevant. If a person takes offense to your thoughtful and honest opinions, they weren’t honestly seeking advice, but were seeking validation from you and when your thoughts don’t validate their own, they will likely take offense. Respect yourself and others by honestly expressing your feelings with kindness.
4. You consistently put the needs of others before your own.
It’s not beneficial to anyone to overextend yourself and ignore your need to rest, relax, and provide yourself with necessary self-care. These matters are important, because when we take care of ourselves, we become more emotionally stable and productive people, overall.
5. You feel guilty doing what you feel is right if it’s contrary to the advice you’ve been given by someone else.
There is nothing wrong with seeking advice, but just remember it’s only advice. Regardless of whether we’re giving advice or receiving it, if the advice isn’t followed shouldn’t be a reason for you or another person to take offense. Never feel guilty for operating contrary to any advice you’ve received when you’re making a choice that feels right for you.
6. When you’re correcting someone’s misconceptions against you and you don’t defend yourself.
Sometimes when conflict arises, it’s better to let things go, regardless of how difficult it may be to do so. Conflict doesn’t benefit anyone when it’s just for the sake of drama. It’s important to balance not engaging in certain conflict with defending ourselves. To respect ourselves, it’s vital that people are informed about the truth about us and our roles in certain situations. If you need to correct erroneous information, feel free to do so. Illustrating an accurate and clear picture of yourself is the optimal sign of self-respect.
7. You regularly conceal how your feelings.
As humans, we’re emotive, feeling creatures. However, society has conditioned us to suppress our emotions in order to keep everyone comfortable around us. You’re disrespecting yourself each time you lie and assure others that you’re fine when you aren’t. Be true to yourself and how you’re feeling.
8. You seek overt outside attention.
The only attention that really counts is the attention we provide to ourselves. When we seek outside attention from others, we’re simply seeking outside validation for something we likely already know deep down inside. If you continually realize that you’re seeking the approval of another, look inside and determine what you’re missing so you can then fill in that void.
9. You make constant attempts to please others and they take advantage of you and take you for granted.
You only have the ability to create your own happiness and when you’re happy, your desire is for others to be happy, as well! The issue with trying to create sunshine everywhere is that we generally end up leaving these people with desires that they can only fulfill on their own. As a result, we create a larger void inside. We generate the best changes when we focus on ourselves. As Mahatma Gandhi stated, “Be the change we want to see in the world.”
10. You surround yourself with toxic people.
It’s hard to be your true self when we choose to be surrounded by people who don’t appreciate and share our values and beliefs that help us show our real selves. Spend time advancing yourself by making friendships and associations with like-minded people, who offer real support to who you really are. It’s difficult to disrespect yourself when you are receiving adequate love and support.
Nobody intends to disrespect themselves, but many habitual behaviors cause people to disrespect themselves, even if they don’t realize they’re doing it. It’s important to pay attention to these behaviors in order to effectively change them. Instinctive responses to your feelings, not communicating your true feelings to avoid hurting someone’s feelings or confrontation, and seeking outside validation instead of inner reassurance may seem harmless, but it is, in fact, a manner of disrespecting yourself.
It might be difficult to change these instinctual behaviors and it might feel uncomfortable at first, but taking the easiest path by silencing your own needs and desires won’t benefit you in the long-run. One can stand up for who you are and your beliefs firmly while still being kind. In fact, this is the ultimate sign that you’re respecting yourself