Eleven Tips to Embrace Your Flaws & Imperfections

None of us are perfect; it is part of human nature to have flaws and imperfections. But, for some of us, we perceive that our flaws make us unlovable, unworthy, and therefore impact our success in all areas of life. Here are eleven tips to help you embrace and use your flaws and imperfections to your advantage!

1. Embrace your individuality. View your flaws as what makes you an individual. We’re all human, and we all have flaws, quirks, or oddities that sets us apart from others. Instead of viewing your flaws as bad things, reframe them into what makes you a unique person
2. Use your flaws to relate to others. Flaws make us human, so try to bond with others about them. Maybe you and your best friend are both super clumsy, or perhaps you meet someone else who has braces or headgear, too. When you admit to your flaws, you show your vulnerability, which makes people like you even more
3. Find role models with similar flaws. Look up to people who are similar to you to feel great. Find people that you admire who have similar flaws as you, and you’ll soon find that you’re much more accepting of yourself
4. Set realistic standards for yourself. Avoiding perfectionism will help you stress less about your flaws. We are often our own worst critics, and we tend to hold ourselves to standards that we wouldn’t expect of other people. Think about the standards you set for yourself, and then think about if you'd hold a friend or loved one to the same standards. If you wouldn't, then you don't need to hold yourself to those standards either.
5. Focus on how you feel, not how you look. Embrace your personality instead of your appearance to feel good. It’s easy to get caught up in feeling like we don’t look “good enough,” especially with the rise of social media. To get away from any unrealistic beauty standards, try to focus on how you feel instead: are you happy? Are you relaxed? The way you feel is much more important than how you look
6. Don't compare yourself to others. Hold yourself to your own standards, not anyone else’s. While it can be tough to do, try not to compare yourself to your peers or the people you see online. Everyone’s life path is different, and you don’t need to match someone else’s journey. Be grateful for what you do have, and think about how far you’ve come to make it where you are today
7. Recognize your own self-worth. You are worthy of being loved and cared for. You don’t need to measure up to anyone else’s standards to have high self-esteem. Instead of relying on other people to lift you up, do it yourself. Take stock of your own talents and abilities, and don’t let anyone else get you down. • Try to remove the word “should” from your vocabulary. “I should be better at this…” “I should be as good as my peers…” Turn those “shoulds” into “coulds:” “If I practice, I could be a lot better in just a few months,” “If I start now, I could achieve my goals in no time.”
8. Reframe your negative thoughts. Challenge your inner critic to think highly of yourself. Oftentimes, our “flaws” are simply things we don’t like about ourselves; they aren’t necessarily bad things. Whenever you catch yourself thinking negatively about something, ask yourself questions like, “Is that really true?” or, “What evidence do I have to support that?” Then, reframe the thought to turn it into a positive. For instance, maybe you think, “I’m too sensitive.” Reframe that by saying: “My sensitivity makes me caring, kind, and empathetic.” Or, maybe you think, “I’m so stubborn.” Turn that into a positive by saying, “I’m passionate about the things that I care about.”
9. Accept compliments. Compliments from your loved ones can boost your self-image. When someone tells you something they like about you, do your best to say “thank you,” and take what they said to heart. Remember, most people won’t compliment you unless they truly mean it—if they say something kind about you, they want you to feel good.
10. Hang out with people who make you feel good about yourself. Your friends and family members often have your best interests at heart, and they’ll want to boost your self-esteem as much as they can. Do your best to be around the people in your life who love and support you for who you are right now. On the flip side, try to watch out for people who bring you down or point out your flaws often. These people often don’t have your best interests at heart, and spending too much time with them can make you feel worse about yourself instead of better.
11. Ask for help when you need it. Talk to a professional if you’re struggling with your self-esteem. It's natural to struggle or feel down about yourself sometimes. A mental health professional can help you work through your feelings and figure out where they come from. They can also give you the tools you need to reframe your thoughts and become a happier, more confident person