If you are an avid reader of my articles, or just know me IRL, then you know that I think self-love is one of the most important things we can work on and towards. You may be wondering why self-love is so important that I’m writing this article about it. Well, here’s why.
It is self-love that allows you to be your own cheerleader.
It is self-love that requires only validation from yourself and not others.
Self- love is being content with who you are and sets you free from wanting to please others. Self-love gives you the confidence to be who you want to be.
Reminder: self-love is not just a state of feeling good. Self-love is an appreciation for yourself that grows through actions that support physical, psychological, and spiritual growth. When we start to work on our self-love, we can start to accept our weaknesses and feel less obligated to explain them away.
It is okay if you can’t bring yourself to love every single piece of you. It is okay if you only like some parts of yourself right now. Loving at least some parts of who you are is a step in the right direction. It is okay to not be all the way there yet. You will get there. It’s a life long journey my friends.
So how do I achieve, or at least work on, loving myself? These are the things that have worked for me. Try some out, or come up with things that will work for you!
1.) Build a support system
We like to think we can do anything and everything by ourselves, but we are social creatures. We need others to survive physically and emotionally. Find people and make sincere connections with those that you feel comfortable with and supported by. These are the people who will cheer you on when you can’t cheer yourself on. They will push you to achieve what you want to and what you can do.
2.) Find your spirituality
Faith is rooted in self-love. Now, this doesn’t mean find a religion you believe in. It just means do some deep thinking about what you believe in and stand for. This can help you build your intuition and help you follow your gut comfortably and confidently. When it is explored, you can learn new things about yourself: thoughts, passions, dislikes, etc.
3.) Self care
Clean yourself both physically and mentally. Focus on what you eat. Eating well can make you feel good. Exercise! This doesn’t necessarily mean go out and get a gym membership. Exercising can be done at home, outside, or really anywhere. It also doesn’t have to be lifting or running. All you need is some healthy movement. Doing yoga when you wake up can help set your vibes right for the day and help you look through a different lens.
Celebrate yourself: both the big and the little things. Other people can see your progress but only you know the weight of that progress. You know how hard you had to work to get to where you are. Even a little bit of progress is worth celebrating. You were the one who got you to where you are, you should be proud. Recognize your success without broadcasting it to the world. This is your success and it will keep expanding.
4.) Forgive yourself and others
It is no secret that we are our own worst critics. We take responsibility for our actions, which is something we should definitely be doing, however, more often than not, this is done by punishing ourselves too harshly for our mistakes. We need to keep in mind that we are learning and growing. We aren’t perfect and will never be which is something everyone needs to accept before they can fully love themselves.
Forgiving others can sometimes be easier than forgiving yourself. However, it can be next to impossible if they aren’t sorry/apologetic. It is important that we forgive others for ourselves, not for them. We can’t hold grudges, well we can but that isn’t completely healthy. Everyone makes mistakes, people who are worthy of your time will be sincerely sorry and show you that they are growing and learning from them as you are yours. This leads us to the last tip.
5.) Let go
We hold onto our past and this can really weigh us down. The past can darken our souls and give us low-self esteem. Our past experiences can hold us back from moving on and reaching the ultimate level of self-acceptance/self-love. You should remember these monumental moments while letting them stay in the past where they belong. Don’t go back to what hurt you but recognize what made you who you are today.
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I hope everyone of you is able to reach some level of self-love because the feeling is so amazing and rewarding. Remember that it is a journey not just a five step process. These are just some things that have worked for me in the past and I hope work for you too. However, don’t just go off this list. Find your own process and enjoy the journey.