Healing looks different for everyone, but no matter who you are, it takes time and effort. We all have faced loss and trauma. While those things impact us, it’s important to not allow pain and the past to dictate us. In order to heal from past wounds, it’s essential to face the past head on. In the famous words of James Baldwin, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” Once we address our past and do the internal work to become more aware of our own needs and the needs of those around us, then we can move forward into the future.
Here are six signs you are healing and becoming a better version of yourself.
You Know How to Set Boundaries
As you become a healthier version of yourself, learning to set boundaries becomes essential. You learn through time that you shouldn’t have to strive or work for people’s love or approval. Always being a “yes woman” is not the solution to thriving relationships. Instead, as you mature and learn your worth, you will clearly set boundaries and safeguard your time, talent, and energy. As the saying goes, “No is a complete sentence.”
You Know When to Rest
Gone are the days of pushing your body past its limits. The younger version of you worked until the late hours of the night and was all about that 24/7 grind. As you become a healed and whole version of yourself, you know that burning the midnight oil is not sustainable. Wellness and self-care become top priorities. Rest is not a form of laziness, but an act of self-love.
You Acknowledge Your Emotions
Younger you may have struggled with emotions – either stuffing them down, ignoring them, or imploding them onto other people. A clear sign that you are becoming the best version of yourself is your willingness to acknowledge your emotions, even the harder and heavier emotions. You can call them out and identify them. Giving your emotions a name helps you to process and work through them.
You Value Alone Time
You relish in solo time. In your youth, sometimes the idea of doing things on your own seemed like an impossibility. Going to the movies, traveling, or eating at a fancy restaurant required your friend group or at least a plus one. Now, you enjoy the time alone. You seek out silence and solitude. Being alone with yourself allows you to check in with yourself, take stock of your emotions, and evaluate your needs.
You Pursue Your Passions
Another sign that you are becoming a healthy version of yourself is your willingness to pursue dreams without worry of who is watching. You can laugh at yourself, and mistakes or shortcomings do not crush your self-esteem. You know that life is short so you pursue dreams and passions with excitement and vigor.
What Others Think Doesn’t Bother You
One of the greatest signs that you are becoming the best version of yourself is that you care less about what people think of you. Instead of allowing people’s opinions to take up free rent in your head, you focus on more important things; like your family, your career, your goals, or helping others. You don’t waste time ruminating on useless opinions.