3 Main Reasons Affirming Steps are Important to Your Transition.
Transition is a highly individualized path. A decision only you can make for yourself.
When you make this decision, a mixture of feelings come up:
Excitement
Fear
Overwhelmedness
Anxiety
Impatience
Sometimes, depending on the feelings you experience, you may want to take a step back. To retrieve. To question whether your decision is a right one.
For this reason, taking affirming steps in the direction of your goals as you go along is important!
What exactly are affirming steps? Affirming steps are little tasks set up on your way to your goal.
Say for example your goal is to transition and you are just starting out. Your first step could be exploring your preferred gender within social transition.
Followed by coming out, pronouns, preferred name, and seeking a medical doctor to start HRT.
The steps are there to help you in a number of ways.
Here are 3 main reasons why affirming steps are not to be overlooked!
#1 HELPS ENSURE YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK
One of the biggest benefits to taking affirming steps is the certainty each step offers in ensuring you are on the right track.
When you start out exploring your gender or starting your transition, you may experience looming feelings of potential regret.
Affirming steps help you feel out how you feel in your preferred gender within the context of social transition without jumping into medical transition.
If you feel affirmed within how you identify, you know you are on the right track and can move forward.
If not, it could be an indication that you need more time exploring your gender.
#2 INCREASES CONFIDENCE AS YOU MOVE ALONG
As you continue taking affirming steps, aka small tasks within your goal, you should begin feeling more confident and assertive about who you are.
That’s because you are finally taking steps toward your authentic Self.
As a result, becoming more aware of who you truly are.
This awareness orients you and your experiences in the world from a more genuine perspective. Leading to a more holistic integration of the Self.
#3 INCREASES STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE TO MOVE FORWARD
As you take more and more affirming steps, you will also start confronting challenges.
As you overcome each challenge, your confidence and assertiveness will grow, leading to a stronger more resilient Self.
Inner strength is important as it serves a vital part in being able to offer resilience as you confront these challenges which come up on your transition path.
Additionally, this strength will serve you well as you move through the life.
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