How to become more independent: 8 useful tips

Becoming less dependent on others and more autonomous is a fundamental aspect of living well.

In the early stages of our lives, it is natural for us to depend on other people, either our parents or caregivers, depending on the circumstances. But there comes a time when it is necessary to stop clinging to those ties, learn about how to be more independent, and not always be conditioned by the care of others..

In the following article we will review a list of tips to learn how to function more autonomously in our daily lives.

Stop depending on others

Independent people are not lonely or bitter; in fact, they can relate well with their peer group at times when it is necessary.

What really characterizes these people is that they are not totally dependent on other people to achieve the goals they set for themselves.They do not mind doing solitary activities, but neither do they seek to isolate themselves voluntarily.

In addition, they stand out for the self-confidence they have in their fundamental abilities to live autonomously, and they understand that the company of other people is not always necessary to carry out a project.

However, independent people are also capable of detecting when they need help in certain when they need help in certain particular aspects, and they do not hesitate to ask for it.. They understand that they cannot handle all the workload in some situations on their own, and they know how to delegate functions.

How to be more independent?

Here are some useful tips on how to become a more independent person in life.

1. Self-acceptance skills

It is necessary to understand ourselves more objectively. That is to say, we must be clear what are our strengths and what are our areas for improvement..

This recognition will help us to better understand in which areas we can perform well on our own, and in which others it would be good to have help or delegate functions to other people with a better knowledge of the area.

2. Self-motivation

When we begin to develop self-motivation, we are gaining in terms of becoming more independent in the future. The ability to be self-motivated is what makes us more confident people.

When we have learned to motivate ourselves on our own, we don't need a group of people to be there for us. we don't need a group of people telling us that we are good at something, because we have already identified our strengths.We have already identified our strengths and weaknesses, and we know what we are capable of.

3. Respect for the opinions of others

The independent individual does not believe that he is the owner of absolute reason on all the subjects he knows. On the contrary, he is always willing to expand his knowledge by actively listening to other people, even if he does not share their views.

When we are independent we do not let people who think differently from us determine us with their opinions, because that means giving the other person too much to do.because that means giving the other person too much control over us.

4. Recognition of emotions

Independence means being able to relate to others without becoming dependent on them.. To the extent that we are able to recognize our own emotions as well as those of others, we become less prone to generate emotional attachments that can complicate us in various areas of life.

To recognize emotions properly, we must ask ourselves the right questions: What exactly do I feel? What motivates this emotion? Is this feeling worth encouraging?

With regard to the emotions of others, it is good to take into account the behavior of others. We often think that emotions are subject to the words that others tell us, but the reality is that facts are more significant.

5. Accept that things do not always turn out as we would like them to.

If we can be aware that things will not always go as we have planned, we will become more tolerant of frustration and less dependent on immediate results. less dependent on immediate resultsThis allows us to focus more on long-term results.

Sometimes circumstances occur that are beyond our control, and it is not worth losing our cool because of it; it is simply a matter of accepting that fact and finding the best way to deal with it.

6. Consistency between thought and action

Another of the most useful tips on how to be more independent is to cultivate self-confidence, as we have already seen above. But it is not enough just to believe that you are good at something, you must be able to prove it.. Avoid overestimating yourself.

7. Verification of sources

Some people take what they have been told by others as true, as an irrefutable truth, whereas the independent subject prefers to corroborate this information for oneself and is able to search various sources on his own to get a better picture of the facts.

8. Learning to do housework

Being independent means being independent in all basic areas of life, not just in very specific ones. Therefore, it is important to invest time and effort in learning how to do the basics of living alone: cooking, washing and ironing clothes, managing household finances, etc.

Bibliographical references:

• Kawamoto, T. (2026). "Personality Change from Life Experiences: Moderation Effect of Attachment Security." Japanese Psychological Research, vol. 58(2). pp. 218 - 231.
• Strack, S. (2005). Handbook of Personology and Psychopathology. Wiley.