Acceptance without judging

Negative thoughts and emotions have a tendency to lead to shame, guilt, and feelings of not being good enough. We set such high standards for ourselves, and when we don't fulfill them, we almost never question our expectations - instead, we end up criticizing ourselves. We believe that we're not strong enough or that we don't have the right to feel bad just because some people out there are going through something even worse. 

When we are critical of ourselves or can't stop dwelling on unhelpful thoughts, we only make things worse by exacerbating symptoms of depression or anxiety, and inhibiting our ability to handle pain and stressful situations. We can't stop thinking and feeling, no matter how unreasonable those thoughts and feelings are. What we can do, however, is choose how to react to them.

This exercise is simple yet effective, and teaches you to accept your thoughts and feelings without judging them. The only thing you have to do is add the words "and that's okay" every time you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts or being critical of yourself.

"I didn't do anything productive today... and that's okay."

"I hate my life right now... and that's okay."

"I can't deal with all this stress... and that's okay."