Enhancing Authenticity
To be authentic is to express one’s true nature in a genuine, trustworthy manner. Authenticity is being true to your values and having congruence between your actions and your words. Keep in mind that the opposite of congruence is defensiveness so reducing defensiveness will encourage more authenticity.
Authentic people tend to be transparent, clear communicators, and take responsibility for their actions. Authentic people also believe their life has meaning which is positively correlated with enhanced psychological and physical health.
Research demonstrates that living and being authentic is associated with a wide variety of positive health effects including higher levels of self-esteem, overall psychological well-being, positivity, optimism, and relationship quality. The first step towards enhancing authenticity is understanding and embracing your values and beliefs. You may even want to do some journaling or make a short list of your core beliefs and what you value most. From there, it’s essential to live in alignment with those values and beliefs.
Being mindful and consistently participating in mind-body therapies and contemplative practices will also help encourage congruence and authenticity.
It’s also important to communicate with clarity and honesty while being gentle with your opinions. Embracing vulnerability while establishing and maintaining boundaries is a big part of living an authentic life. Be a good listener and seek feedback. Trust your intuition while having compassion for others. Most of all, love yourself.
