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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Oneonta chapter.

There is no denying that the way we see and think about ourselves is very important. In the end, we are the only person who is one hundred percent there for us, so why is it that we struggle to love ourselves? It’s so hard growing up in this media-centric, beauty-obsessed world, that tells us what is and isn’t beauty. And it’s so easy to think less of ourselves when we see someone doing or looking better. If you’re anything like me, you have low days and high days. Sometimes I’ll wake up and I’ll feel more beautiful than ever, and other days I’ll take one look at myself and feel absolutely discouraged.  

There’s the issue… 

We wouldn’t wake up one day and decide to not love our sibling, friend, or partner just because they’re having a bad hair day, or they’ve gained 10 pounds, or God forbid they didn’t put on any makeup. So how come we are so quick to make that decision about ourselves?  

Easier said than done (I know), but I’m offering my advice, because I too am trying to end the cycle of feeling bad about myself. I am no expert, but I’m learning to love myself more than the day before, and I’ll do it with more grace and esteem than I can honestly say I’ve ever had for myself.  

I’ve been toying with some ideas of how to stop the self-hate and bring on the self-love. If you’re feeling defeated, give these three things a try, and maybe you’ll wake up smiling brighter than you were while falling asleep. 

1. Stop comparing yourself to other people. That will get you absolutely nowhere, and you’ll only dig for things “wrong” with yourself. You are so uniquely you, that is why you “don’t look like the other girls.” Instead of comparing yourself to other people, compare yourself to yourself! Look how far you’ve come, and motivate yourself to keep going.  

Which leads me to my next point. When those demoralizing thoughts enter your mind… 

2. Tell yourself to STOP. Come up with a phrase or two that you can say to yourself when those thoughts come up, to remind yourself of the beauty and magic within you.  

3. Each night write down something positive that happened during the day. This may not be an exercise specific to building your self-esteem, but after getting into the habit of doing this you’ll learn to appreciate all the wonderful little things in life.  

Amazing things come when you learn to love yourself. You wont beat yourself up over little mistakes, your days will be smoother, and you’ll be much, much happier.   

Keep shining, and always remember,  

YOU. ARE. BEAUTIFUL. 

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Katherine Sanderson is currently a sophomore at SUNY Oneonta majoring in Communication Studies. She hails from a small town about 30 miles north of Albany, New York, where she began writing anything from poetry to short stories that express many of the things that she enjoys about life and love. Katherine began her writing career early in her high school education, first by writing for enjoyment, then challenging herself and entering different writing competitions. The American Library of Poetry has published Katherine in two of their book editions “Acclaimed” and “Discovered” in the years 2011 and 2013, which were two of her greatest writing accomplishments. For Katherine, writing is more than just a hobby, but more of a way to express her true self.
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Anna is a junior at SUNY Oneonta, studying Fashion Marketing and Computer Art. She hopes to turn these studies into a career in the fashion industry in New York City. Outside of writing for Her Campus, Anna spends her time obsessing over eyebrows, embroidering, and talking about her dogs.