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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UPR chapter.

At some point, everyone struggles to reach that moment in our lives where we feel completely comfortable with who we are as a person. Some of us struggle with accepting something that seems to make that very acceptance even harder.

Sexuality is a person’s sexual orientation or preference. The sexuality spectrum is incredibly broad and diverse, so that means there’s a variety of sexual orientations. But, even with all -of that diversity, everyone can agree on how difficult it was to come to terms with who they like, love or feel attraction to. So for that, we’d like to offer you some healthy and progressive ways you can deal with this difficulty.

 

1. Take it easy

The most important thing when facing this challenge is to take things at your own time and pace. Not everyone deals with their problems in the same way. Not everyone thinks in the same way, and not everyone feels the same way. We are all individuals with very different perspectives on what it’s like to be, well, ourselves. Don’t hurry. Don’t pressure yourself into trying to catch up to someone else or trying to do the same things others have done. All will fall into place when the time is right.

 

 2. Always validate yourself  

A lot of people could tell you that what you’re feeling isn’t right or what you’re thinking isn’t okay, but don’t let anyone ever tell you that your feelings are wrong. Sexuality — regardless of what your preference is — is who you are. Who you are is a human being worthy of having their feelings taken into account. Find people who will help you and accept you for who you are.

 

3. Don’t mind labels

Labels are a thing, but they are not everything. Sometimes labels help in choosing a path and finding out more about a certain topic, but just because you’ve chosen to walk on that path doesn’t mean you can’t pick another one or none. Once you are 100% comfortable with yourself, labels won’t matter and they only stick if you want them to. You are in total control.

 

4. Surround yourself with positivity

Finding a group of friends/family — in real life or even online — helps a lot. Having people you can relate to and/or having people who support you make a world of difference when dealing with those days when things don’t seem to fall into place. A healthy support system is important. It’s important to note that sometimes family will be an obstacle when dealing with something like one’s sexuality, but it’s all a matter of time and communication.  

 

5. Be happy, be you

Whether it’s about your sexuality, your gender, or anything else, always fight to be happy and proud of who you are. We live in a world where people often tear down what they don’t understand, but if you work on knowing who you are and have people who help you get there, there’s nothing that can stand in your way of being happy with yourself. Don’t be afraid of rejecting people who don’t contribute anything but good things to your life, and don’t be afraid of giving yourself the chance to be happy.

 

Thank you to Quora.com for the inspiration this thread provided me with.

Lover of singing, dancing and reading. I like spending my free time binge watching series that have too many seasons, fangirling over female pop icons and watching makeup tutorials. Social media is one of my passions and I aspire to be the best publicity/public relations specialist. Always bold & brave.
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