One of the most essential elements in dealing with overwhelming emotions is self-validation. Self-validation is a necessary aspect of developing relationships and prospering. It is a process that, with practice, can lead us to accept our own experiences and build our individual identities.
Self-validation is a technique for acknowledging, embracing, and honoring one’s inner feelings without passing judgment or criticism. It promotes self-awareness and allows us to better understand ourselves.
Forms of self-validation
- Feeling good about yourself
- Supporting and encouraging yourself
- Accepting yourself, flaws and all
- Respecting and comprehending your feelings
- Withholding blame that may occur in self-talk
Why it is important?
Self-validation is important because too much reliance on external validation can have a negative impact on mental health, especially in situations where the people around us are hypercritical. In these situations, relying on other people’s opinions is liable to open us up to self-doubt and criticism.
Examples of expressions that represent self-validation:
1. Crying because I was upset does not imply weakness; crying through the cycle of sadness relieves me.
2. I cannot be happy all the time. I will accept my sadness in a positive way.
3. I do not need positive feedback from others to feel worthy; I can feel worthy and good without any external opinions or judgments.
Author: Maha Al GafriValidating yourself will help you accept and better understand yourself, which leads to a stronger identity and better skills at managing intense emotions. Self-validation helps you find wisdom.
Hall, 2014