In practice, radical acceptance involves embracing the present moment, letting go of expectations. Surrendering control and acknowledging one's powerlessness over certain aspects of your life or other people's behaviors. It can be particularly helpful when overwhelmed or dealing with challenging circumstances beyond our control, such as loss, trauma, chronic illness, recovery from addiction, or abusive relationships.
I have been learning about radical acceptance for the last several months and while the concept is extremely beneficial it has not been easy to incorporate into my daily living. I find I think about it as an afterthought, not as an intentional exercise. For example, when you are feeling anxious you should pause, and acknowledge you are anxious and it is ok, trying to push it away or hide from it tends to make it worse. Acknowledging the emotion in the moment allows one to pause and control the emotion instead of being controlled by it. Simple but powerful, and I was skeptical, but there is something freeing about letting go of your fears, anxiety, &/or feelings by saying them out loud or writing them down. I do not know why it works but it does, it does not change the reality but somehow it helps. Don't just take my word for it, try it out.
Below you can hear an explanation of radical acceptance from a professional.
Hope Way
Blogger's note: This blog post is for conversation and learning purposes only. Any well-being posts by the Crafty Damselfly Blog are in no way meant to diagnose or treat any illness. If you have any health concerns please see a licensed healthcare professional.
This is one of a three-part series, part two will have an overview of key principles, and part three ... well I am still putting it together so stay tuned. 😉
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