How To Be 100% Honest With Yourself In Just 5 Simple Ways!

“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” – Thomas Jefferson

Even in our book of life, honesty should be the first chapter. There are many times we lie to ourselves – sometimes to make ourselves feel better and other times to hide the truth and protect ourselves. We all lie, but is the lie always worth it? Or being honest with yourself is the right thing to do, even when honesty hurts?

It’s not all bad, though. The honesty. Remember the last time someone told you a lie; how hurt were you after knowing the truth? What if they had told you the truth in the first place? Would that have hurt? Yes, but it wouldn’t have betrayed your trust, right?

For the most part, I try to be as honest with my loved ones as I can be. It prevents me from hurting the trust they put in me. In the last few years, I’ve learned that not only being honest with others is healthy, but being honest with myself is a good example of self-respect.

But, why is being honest with yourself important? And more so, how to be honest with yourself? Let’s take a look at the benefits and ways you can be honest with yourself.

Why Is Being Honest With Yourself Important?

Well, there are many reasons why being honest with yourself can be an important part of your life. If we talk about science, there have been researchers who found that people who are honest with themselves and have integrity have a better and healthier life. Not only that, but they were physically and mentally stronger than others who were not honest with themselves.

When you’re honest with yourself, you give yourself a chance to build a better relationship with yourself and others too – socially and professionally. There have been studies that suggest that honesty with yourself can be connected to a higher job and career success.

Now that we know the benefits of being honest with yourself are not limited to higher life satisfaction but better mental and emotional well-being too, let’s take a look at the ways you can be honest with yourself.

5 Ways To Be Honest With Yourself

1.Don’t Rely On “Tomorrow”

One of the biggest lies we tell ourselves is that we will do it tomorrow. We depend on tomorrow which never comes. So, the first way you can be honest with yourself is to stop telling yourself that you’ll do it tomorrow.

Once you’re honest with yourself, you’ll realize that putting off things for tomorrow doesn’t work. Whenever you put off things for tomorrow, you hold yourself back from reaching your dreams.

2.Own Up To Your Mistakes

Another thing you need to do to learn how to be honest with yourself is to own up to your mistakes. Mistakes make us uncomfortable, but when you start being honest with yourself, you realize that mistakes are a part of life, just like our achievements, and avoiding them is avoiding the flaws, which are also a part of you.

Owning your mistakes can also help you take responsibility and realize that you can fix those mistakes only when you accept them as your own.

3.Talk About Your Feelings

No matter how uncomfortable it makes you feel, you need to talk about your feelings if you want to be honest with yourself. Let’s take an example; what’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone asks you, “how are you doing?” It’s always, “I’m fine”, isn’t it? Even when you’re not fine.

That’s a lie you tell yourself and those around you. Once you accept the truth and acknowledge your feelings, it becomes easier to change your emotions. Instead of ignoring your feelings, be honest and courageous, and talk about the emotions you feel.

4.Accept The Positives

Think about one good thing you did for yourself or someone else today. Give yourself a moment to be grateful for the opportunity to make a difference – even if it was a small one. You don’t need to act on something huge, just a simple act of accepting something positive in your life can help you be honest with yourself.

This practice will also help you reframe your mindset. The more you accept the positives, the more you’ll see that you’re honest with yourself. And once you make this a habit, you’ll see the effects of being honest with yourself, in the long term.

5.Forgive Yourself

One of the biggest reasons we lie to ourselves is to escape the consequences of our actions. To be honest with yourself, you need to learn how to forgive yourself. It might feel strange to do so in the beginning, but self-forgiveness will allow you to be self-honest.

This step allows you to take not only ownership of your wrongdoings but will also help you move on in your life.

What Next?

The worst thing you can do to yourself is to not be your true self. Self-honesty is a practice that not only allows you to be honest with yourself but also allows you to boost your confidence and self-respect. Being honest with yourself is one of the most important skills you need to incorporate into your life.

Learning to be honest with yourself makes sure that you make smart choices and build a future where you are your authentic self, embrace who you are, and chase what you want.

The first step to being honest with yourself is to be aware of your feelings and accept them non-judgmentally. The way you embrace and carry yourself makes a huge difference in your relationships – with yourself and others.

It’s time, to be honest. Not just with others but with the most important person in your life, aka YOU! It might be a little challenging in the beginning but with the help of a counselor or life coach, you can embrace your true self and move on.

So, are you being honest with yourself? Let me know in the comments below! You can also share your experiences with us by writing to us at info@calmsage.com.

Take Care and Stay Safe!