Flipside of Midlife: The Gift of Self-Acceptance
In midlife and beyond, change seems to be everywhere.
How you interpret and respond to all of this change can be greatly impacted by your self-acceptance, self-love, and self-compassion.
There's always learning and growing available to us when it comes to these three concepts. Let's dive a little deeper, shall we?
{MUSIC INTRO}
I'm Karli Newman, and you're listening to Flipside of Midlife, a podcast for women in midlife and beyond who want to feel inspired, hopeful, confident, and more satisfied with life than ever before.
My passion is to help you explore this transformational time of life, prioritize your wants and needs, and make these years your best years. It's at the heart of my business, and it's why I show up here to dig into relevant topics that help you expand into the powerful and resilient woman you are.
Get on my email list for weekly tidbits, shop my unique 'made for midlife and beyond' online shop, or work closely with me in my coaching programs, virtual workshops, and private wellness getaways. If you happen to be in Phoenix, I'd love to see you at my monthly wellness events, too.
I work exclusively with women in midlife and beyond because I don't want you to spend years figuring it out on your own like I did. Don't waste precious time!
You're more likely to get what you want on the flip side of midlife when you have the support of someone who has traveled the road before you, understands where you are, and cheers for you as you move closer to where you want to be.
Take a baby step, my friend. Visit my website, 823groupaz.com, to see what feels right for you.
I think February is a perfect month to talk about self-acceptance, self-love, and self-compassion. It is the month of love after all, so why not talk about the love you hold and express for the most important person in your life? That's you, by the way.
I can't cover all three big ideas in one episode, so you're going to want to tune in all month long. This episode is about self-acceptance and how you can embrace all of you. You may want to take some notes, so have your journal, notebook, or favorite app close by and ready to go.
If now's not a good time to write, check the show notes or transcript for the time marker. Then you can come right. Right back here when you are ready.
02:18 Time Marker
Self-acceptance is the conscious and compassionate recognition of your strengths, flaws, and unique qualities. It's about accepting the entirety of who you are and realizing that your worth is inherent - societal expectations and external judgments be damned!
In midlife and beyond self-acceptance creates a sense of liberation. It allows you to break free from the constraints of the 'shoulds' you have been carrying around and develop a deeper knowledge of your authentic self.
Self-acceptance is how you embrace your life experiences, wrinkles, quirky personality traits, and human imperfections. It's being able to view you through a lens of kindness rather than judgment.
Self-acceptance helps you to release the pressure of fitting into a mold that doesn't fit and expand into the space midlife and beyond provides.
As I mentioned at the top of this episode, internal and external change is all around us in midlife and beyond. You know it is!
You're managing physical symptoms like hot flashes and changes in your skin, eyesight, and belly. It's challenging to get a good night's sleep. You're dealing with empty nesting, adult children, aging parents, and ageism in our society. You're experiencing loss and grieving like you never have. A lot is happening that is out of your control.
At the heart of all of it, self-acceptance is something you CAN control. And it makes you stronger, more prepared, and more resilient. Here are a few ways to cultivate and strengthen your self-acceptance muscle.
First, be your own best friend. How many times do you say things to yourself, even maybe out loud to yourself, that you would never in a bazillion years think of saying to one of your good friends?
Treat yourself with the same gentle understanding that you offer that good friend. Be kind with your thoughts and self-talk. Acknowledge that perfection is an unrealistic standard. It does not exist, my friend. Know that you are doing your best in the moment.
Another way to boost your self-acceptance is to practice mindfulness and reflection. Set aside time for mindfulness practices like meditation or journaling. If the word meditation makes you squirm a bit, remember meditation is what you make it.
You can meditate during a walk. You can meditate while you're out in nature. You can meditate with your eyes open. You don't have to sit with your eyes closed in order to meditate.
What works for you? You can even meditate while you're journaling. Reflect on your experiences and recognize your achievements and your areas for growth. Mindful awareness helps you tune into the here and now with an understanding of how you got here.
Mindfulness practices like meditation and journaling help you get in touch with the core of you.
Another way to boost your self-acceptance is to surround yourself with positivity. It's really hard not to speak negatively to yourself if you're surrounded by negative people. Build a supportive network that uplifts who you are, that celebrates your uniqueness, and appreciates you for you and who you are, and who you're becoming.
Distance yourself from those who do not.
Those negative Nellies and Neds are not the people you want to surround yourself with. It may take some big changes to make this happen. You may have to remove yourself from certain groups or certain friendships.
If they're not part of your positive relationship group, it's time to seriously consider how much you do interact with those people who might be draining all of your positivity and reinforcing your negative thoughts and lack of self-acceptance.
Positive relationships contribute significantly to building and maintaining a strong sense of self-acceptance.
Be your own best friend. Practice mindfulness and reflection. Surround yourself with positivity. These three tips will help you foster greater self-acceptance.
Tap into your creativity to think of ways to make them part of your life. Get curious and explore new resources to establish habits and meet other women who are building a supportive and positive community. They are out there. You just have to look.
Each of us has a different experience cultivating self-acceptance. One thing we all share, however, is that it isn't a one-and-done. Self-acceptance requires your ongoing attention. By creating awareness around it and making it part of your habits, you can pave the way to your most authentic, fulfilling, and satisfying life.
This is a wrap on today's episode, my friend. I can't wait to have you here next week when I talk about self-love and share some ideas on how to add more of it into your life.
Thanks for listening to Flipside of Midlife. I'd love to hear from you. What got you thinking during this episode?
Send me an email at karli@823groupaz.com, or if you're listening on Spotify, use your mobile app to respond to my Q and A and poll questions.
Wherever you listen, it's helpful if you hit the button to follow, subscribe, rate, or even write me a review. When you do the algorithms help other women in midlife and beyond find this podcast. Please help me spread the word!
{MUSIC OUTRO}