Self-love
Self-love is a state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological, and spiritual growth. Self-love means having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness. Self-love means taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing your well-being to please others. Self-love means not settling for less than you deserve.
Self-love can mean something different for each person because we all have many different ways to take care of ourselves. Figuring out what self-love looks like for you as an individual is an important part of your mental health. Self-love means accepting yourself as you are in this very moment for everything that you are. It means accepting your emotions for what they are and putting your physical, emotional, and mental well-being first.
We cannot always expect to rely only on external sources for love and that is where the concept of self-love comes in. A person who practices self-love will never need to depend on others to be happy and it is an empowering feeling to be happy on the inside.
Self-love is not being selfish; it is just putting yourself first and not being too tough on yourself. So next time you hear that little voice in your head telling you that you are not good enough or that you cannot afford to make mistakes; just ignore it. When our loved ones make a mistake we often forgive them easily, but when we make a mistake we are often too hard on ourselves.
The first step of self-love is realizing that we are only human and it is okay to make mistakes; it is okay to lose at times; it is okay to not have the best day…week…or month. All we need to do is love ourselves and let the negative things pass through; eventually, things will change and bad times will pass.
Self-love has many benefits; the first benefit is greater life satisfaction. When we love ourselves more we instantly change our perspective of the world. Self-love can give us a more positive attitude toward life. The second benefit of self-love is that it can encourage us to pick up good habits. Self-love means loving your body, soul, and mind. Therefore, people who love themselves often refrain from doing things that will have an impact on their tranquility. Thus, it can help us adopt healthy habits.
If you start loving your body and mind more than others, you will not work during weekends; you will rather go on a drive or do some other activity that relaxes your mind. Another important benefit of self-love is better mental health. People who love themselves are less likely to suffer from anxiety or depression; self-love also paves the way to a positive mindset which is an essential ingredient for success in life and for mental well-being.
Learning to love yourself also reduces stress, lessens procrastination, and makes you more focused at work. Put yourself a little higher on your priority list; think highly of yourself as the world takes you at your own estimate. If you have had a long day at work, come home and take a long break.
If you have had a tough week, take the weekend off and travel somewhere; get off your phone and give yourself some ‘me time.’ Consider yourself important too; love yourself as much as you love your friends and family. Happiness and self-love are interconnected, and we all deserve to be happy. Even the United Nations has its resolution on happiness; it recognizes happiness and well-being to be universal goals. Therefore, we should not strive to be perfect, rather we should strive to love ourselves and pass on the love to others. Self-love is the key to happiness and a person who is happy is in a far better position to achieve success in every aspect of life.
In order to create that loving relationship with yourself, you’ll have to recognize your needs. Without self-love, you are dismissive of your needs; you ignore them while prioritizing the needs of others such as your partners, friends, family, and coworkers. Self-love is all about identifying your needs and making them a priority in your life. It’s about doing what truly feels right for you. Self-love pushes you to take care of your own needs. You’ll learn to give to yourself, and in doing so, you will develop into the person you strive to be. You’ll celebrate the beauty and freedom of being true to yourself, and you’ll gain a solidified sense of who you truly are. Self-love helps you ground into your true self.
Ways to practice self-love include:
Becoming mindful. People who have more self-love tend to know what they think, feel, and want.
Taking actions based on need rather than want. By staying focused on what you need, you turn away from automatic behavior patterns that get you into trouble, keep you stuck in the past, and lessen self-love.
Practicing good self-care. You will love yourself more when you take better care of your basic needs. People high in self-love nourish themselves daily through healthy activities, like sound nutrition, exercise, proper sleep, intimacy, and healthy social interactions.
Making room for healthy habits. Start truly caring for yourself by mirroring that in what you eat, how you exercise, and what you spend time doing. Do stuff, not to “get it done” or because you “have to,” but because you care about yourself.
Finally, to practice self-love, start by being kind, patient, gentle, and compassionate to yourself, the way you would with someone else that you care about.