The 3 Healing Benefits Of Shadow Work

We aren’t perfect people. We all have flaws and traits we aren’t proud of or that we hide away. It’s our fears, doubts, anxieties, trauma, shame, guilt, and judgments — this is all part of our shadow self. We all have a shadow self and we all are capable of looking at it, embracing it, and healing it.

The shadow self — or, according to psychologist Carl Jung, the shadow archetypes — are the dark and emotional sides of our personality. It is, ultimately, the parts of us that we reject because it threatens the way we present ourselves to the world and the way we wish to be understood and explored.

By ignoring or suppressing our shadow selves, we are creating a negative environment for ourselves and our well-being. We develop low or poor self-esteem, self-doubt, anxieties, struggles with relationships, deceit, and so much more.

So how do you look at it and work towards healing?

Shadow work.

Shadow work is the work we do with our unconscious mind to see these aspects of ourselves not as flaws, but simply, as a part of who we are. It’s an understanding that our thoughts and emotions influence our behavior.

Shadow work is uncomfortable and sometimes scary, but overall, it is deeply beneficial. It is healing. By doing the work with a coach or therapist or even by yourself, you will understand yourself so much more.

In fact, here are the benefits of doing shadow work:

Deeper self-love and self-acceptance.

Like poet Rumi said, “Day and night, no difference. The sun is the moon: an amalgam.” The blending of two opposites essentially becomes one thing. You can’t have one thing without the other — you are a human with “good” and “bad” qualities.

When you recognize these parts of you and no longer allow them to hide away, you can then start to confidently show up as your most authentic self. By confronting your fears, shame, and trauma, you remove the power they have over you. If these parts of you are true weaknesses, bring them into the light — you will be able to address them and understand them better that way.

Reclaim those parts of you that you’ve shunned to your shadow self out of fear of being who you truly are. Someone told you once that you talk too much or too loudly, so you’ve learned to just be quiet? No, no. Be loud. That’s who you are.

Embrace your “flaws.” Let yourself be free from the burdens of self-doubt and self-hate. Give yourself the grace and love you deserve and allow yourself to live your most authentic life.

Better and more compassionate relationships with others.

When you love and accept yourself, you can then love and accept others as well. You will become more compassionate and sympathetic toward the people in your life because you understand that we are all flawed and we all have parts of us that need healing. You might find that you’re less triggered by other people’s actions, too.

For example, let’s say you have an anxious attachment style and are in a relationship with someone who has an avoidant attachment style. When you recognize that and do the work for healing, you will also understand that your avoidant attachment partner has their own darkness to them in need of healing. You won’t blame them or feel triggered by them, but rather, just understand them.

Discover hidden talents and improve creativity.

Maybe you don’t feel worthy of your accomplishments or have suppressed your hidden talents out of fear, shame, or self-doubt. Maybe you’re “not the most creative person.” When you do shadow work, you can enhance your creativity and even discover hidden talents.

Creativity isn’t really something you’re born with — it’s also something that can be learned. Art is subjective, too. If you want to write or paint or create music, you can do that. If you have a hidden talent that other people might have deemed as “weird” or “different” and so you’ve sheltered it, pick it back up again. As long as you put in the effort, embody a passion for it, and don’t allow yourself to be limited by your shadow self.

Nurture these parts of you, no matter how deep you’ve buried them. Embrace them. Work on releasing judgments, doubts, and other limiting beliefs. This is how you can become your most authentic self.

Unfortunately, there can be no doubt that man is, on the whole, less good than he imagines himself or wants to be. Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. At all counts, it forms an unconscious snag, thwarting our most well-meant intentions.

Carl Jung