Self-acceptance

TOPS 0737 Sallisaw had a nice visit from our Area Advocate, Amanda, Monday. We had 13 in attendance plus Amanda and her husband, John. Amanda is leader of the Muskogee chapter and John is the chapter weight recorder. Amanda came to encourage our chapter and also to let us know about TOPS new rules and announce about the next Fun day TOPS will have in December. Her program was about self-acceptance. At its core, self-acceptance is about recognizing and embracing who you truly are—both the good and the not-so-good. It means acknowledging your strengths and achievements while also being honest about your flaws and mistakes without harsh judgement. It’s kind of like being your own best friend. Self-acceptance matters because it builds a solid foundation for self-esteem. Types of self-care are: Physical suck as sleep, walking, healthy food and rest; Emotional: stress management, compassion and kindness; Social: support systems, communication, time together and ask for help; and Spiritual: meditation, journaling and sacred space. An example plan is: PHYSICAL-go for a 30-minute walk three times a week. EMOTIONSAL-write a gratitude journal daily. SOCIALhave a weekly coffee chat with a friend and SPIRITUAL-mediate for ten minutes every morning. Amanda had us do a group exercise of getting into a circle and holding hands, acknowledge the person to our right, and give them words of encouragement to help build up their esteem. We appreciate Amanda and John for the program and their desire to visit each chapter to encourage the chapter on their journey to getting healthy.