How to Take Responsibility for Your Actions (And Why It's So Important!) (2023)

Life can be stressful and unpredictable, and sometimes it's easier to avoid taking responsibility for our actions. That's because accepting responsibility for our actions is often difficult. It is common to avoid responsibility for the short-term relief of negative emotions, but the long-term consequences can be significant.

While not an easy task, taking responsibility for your actions can empower you and have a significant positive impact on your life. To name a few benefits, it can improve your relationships, increase your ability to learn, and make you feel more in control of your life.

In this article, I'll share what it means to take responsibility for your actions, why it's crucial to do so, and some helpful tips for implementing it.

What does it mean to take responsibility for your actions?

Taking responsibility for your actions means you acknowledge areas of your lifewhat can you controlymake positive changes in. It also means accepting and overcoming things you cannot control, without blaming or excusing. Sometimes when we make a mistake it can be difficult to recognize it and act to correct it. Our first reaction may be to blame others or make excuses for the situation.

Taking responsibility for your actions gives you the agency to influence your life. You are not just reacting to situations, but you get to choose how you respond to them.

When you take responsibility for your actions, you first acknowledge the problem, whether it's a mistake you've made or something in your life you'd like to change.

Then you recognize the role you play in the situation, including the aspects that are within your control as well as the things you cannot change. Finally, implement an action plan to resolve the issue and limit the chances of it happening again in the future.

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See Also

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Why is it important to take responsibility for your actions?

Taking responsibility for your actions has many benefits, although it can be difficult to do. Here are 4 of the biggest benefits you'll gain from taking responsibility for your own actions:

1. Improve your mental health

Studiesshow that “The development of personal responsibility contributes positively to well-being, self-esteem and psychological health by enabling people to take ownership of behaviors and actions”.

When you take responsibility for your actions, you feel a sense of control rather thanfeeling like a victim of circumstances.

Taking responsibility for your actions means taking an active role in problem solving rather than waiting for situations to resolve themselves. When it comes to mental health and wellness, it is clear that there will be environmental factors that play a role that are beyond our control.

However, there will also be factors that you can change.

For example, let's say you're struggling with anxiety and want to take responsibility for improving your mental health. He canseek professional support, such as therapyor check with your GP. You can explore what coping strategies work for you, such as breathing,meditation, exercise, take care of a pet, or spend time with your loved ones. Alternatively, you could also try to develop a better understanding of your triggers.

All of these things are within your control and will likely lead to improvement in your symptoms over time.

2. Strengthen your relationships

Think of your own personal relationships. If you have a friend who doesn't take responsibility for their actions, blames others, and constantly makes excuses for their actions, is that the person you want to surround yourself with? The likely answer is no. You may see this individual as unreliable, untrustworthy, and immature.

Taking responsibility for your actions plays a key role in relationships. By doing this, you show your partner, friend or family member that you are mature and willing to behonestand vulnerable.

This, in turn, establishes an environment in which the other person feels safe, vulnerable, and authentic, leading to relationships characterized by trust, openness, and transparency.

3. Increase your ability to learn

The relationship between personal responsibility and learning ability has been widely studied.Investigationshows that taking responsibility for one's own learning is essential for academic, personal and professional growth and success. Taking responsibility in the context of study and learning means that the student recognizes that he has an active role in his learning and that his actions directly affect his peers.

The ability to be a good learner means going beyond what you are given and passively receiving the knowledge you are taught. Instead, a strong student takes responsibility for their learning by taking a personal interest and putting effort and commitment into their studies.

4. You will gain a greater internal locus of control

internal control placeis a psychological term meaning that a person believes they have a sense of control in their life, rather than that their life is controlled by external factors.

If you have an olderinternallocus of control, you are more likely to attribute your successes (and failures) to your own actions. If you have an olderexternallocus of control, you may believe that your life is not in your control and any success or failure you experience is attributed to luck or fate.

For example, let's say there's a big test at school. A person with a higher internal locus of control may believe that test scores will reflect the amount of studying and preparation done, so they will study harder. On the other hand, a person with a greater external locus of control may believe that studying is a waste of time, as the test result is not under their control and is based solely on teacher bias. Who do you think will be more successful in this situation?

People with an internal locus of control take responsibility for their actions, as they recognize aspects of their lives that they can influence and act accordingly.Studiesshow that individuals with a greater internal locus of control have greater self-confidence and are more resistant to stress.

5 tips for taking responsibility for your actions

Turns out there are plenty of reasons to take responsibility for your actions. But how do you actually do it? Here are 5 tips to help you take responsibility.

1.stop blaming other people

Guilt is a defense mechanism. It's easier to blame others when things go wrong or when you make a mistake rather than taking full responsibility for your actions. Just because it's easier doesn't mean it's right or benefits you in the long run.

In the moment, shifting blame can relieve stress and negative emotions. However, this will not solve the problem and will likely leave you feeling guilty and emotionally drained.

It's not fair to you, nor to the person wrongly blamed. Furthermore, when you blame others, you risk losing valuable friendships, relationships, or jobs. People can lose trust and respect for you, leaving you alone.

At the moment, it can be daunting to accept responsibility and take practical steps towards change. Reminding yourself that it's the right thing to do and that it will benefit you in the long run can help you resist the "blame game" and take responsibility for your actions.

2.seems like an excused gift

Sometimes we make excuses to rationalize why we don't take responsibility for our actions or to avoid difficult or uncomfortable situations. Making excuses is like taking the easy way out. Rather than admitting failures or mistakes, we make excuses to rationalize actions even though they might be wrong.

For example, maybe you couldn't finish a school project before the deadline. Rather than blaming the professor for meeting the deadline too soon, consider the factors within your control. You may have started homework early enough to complete it on time, or you may have sought support, either from a peer or a teacher, to help you complete your homework.

It may be tempting to make excuses to justify our behavior, but it's not productive and won't benefit you in the long run.

3.accept negative emotions

It is inevitable that you will experience negative emotions in your life. Taking responsibility for your actions can lead to feelings of discomfort, fear and shame. These emotions can be difficult to deal with, but it's importantaccept them to move forward.

Practicing mindfulness can help you deal with negative emotions instead of trying to run away from them. Avoiding negative emotions and discomfort only perpetuates it in the long run and makes it harder to take responsibility for our actions and move forward.

try some of thesetips for implementing mindfulnessduring times when negative emotions are present.

4.Act, don't react

When mistakes or embarrassing situations occur, it is common for our first instinct to be defensive. As mentioned above, sometimes it's easier to deflect blame, make excuses, or run away from negative emotions. When we react to situations without thinking it through, the response is likely to be defensive, without solving the problem.

It's important to step back and act on the situation in a calm and impactful way. It can be hard to get a calm perspective during the heat of the moment, but there are a few things you can do to get yourself to a calm place so you can move on:

• Do a breathing exercise.
• Go for a quick ride (This article really explains how powerful this tactic is!).
• Call a friend to discuss the situation.

When you are in a state where you are acting and not reacting, you will be able to make more informed and rational decisions to correct the situation.

5.practice self-compassion

Like all humans, we make mistakes, go through difficult times, and sometimes act in ways we later wish we hadn't. Everyone goes through this and no one is perfect! While it is important to take responsibility for our actions and do things right, it is equally importantbe kind to yourself.

For example, suppose you reacted badly and said hurtful things to a close friend during an argument and you are now punishing yourself for it. You may be reflecting on the conversation, thinking about the things you said or should have said, and telling yourself that you are a bad person who doesn't deserve friendship.

These negative thoughts and feelings are natural and valid, but they don't help the situation and leave no room for self-pity.

Imagine that a friend comes to you with the same situation. What would you say to them? You would probably show compassion and say something like, “This sounds like a difficult situation, and I can see that you are not happy with the way you have responded. Remember that everyone makes mistakes and will get better. What do you think you can do to fix the situation?”

Taking an approach like this allows you toforgive yourself, and show yourselfkindness, while continuing to hold yourself accountable and take responsibility for your actions.

💡Passing: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, we've condensed information from 100 of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here.👇

(Video) How To Take Responsibility For Your Actions

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Ending

Taking responsibility for your actions is rarely easy, but it's worth it. The benefits of taking responsibility far outweigh the discomfort that comes with it. Mistakes are human, difficult situations are inevitable, and there will always be factors beyond our control. It's how we respond to them that's important.

Do you find it difficult to take responsibility for your own actions? Or do you feel like a victim of circumstances most of the time? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

jessie faber Writer

Writer, athlete, social worker and professional thrift shop buyer. I was born in Canada but currently I live my dream of playing football professionally in Greece. Passionate about mental health advocacy, sewing, singing and guitar.

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