Not going to lie, loving yourself can be really hard at times. You get stuck in a mentality where everything about yourself just feels wrong. How can you love yourself when your reflection in the mirror stares back at you in disapproval? How can you find the ability to love yourself when your mind is at war with itself? How do you love yourself when everything around you has gone to sh*t?
Learning to fall in love with yourself means you continuously claim every part of you — even the parts you feel most insecure about. I don’t know all the answers to the questions, and I don’t think anyone does either. It’s all just a continuous search for what works for you. Practicing self love is important, but what is it exactly? It refers to the acceptance and respect for who you are deep down, every single part of you, down to the parts you dislike. By continuously exercising self love, your overall quality of life will be better and happier.
- Crush those negative thoughts!
-
Positive thoughts = positive vibes; reframe the negativity into good thoughts.
- Be nice to yourself
-
Don’t beat yourself up; if something isn’t where you want it to be, that’s perfectly fine! There’s always room for self improvement. Be patient during this process. You’re changing, and that’s hard work.
- Don’t dwell on the past
-
Messed up somewhere? It’s fine; put it behind you and keep moving forward. Leave the past in the past, it’s where it belongs. Forgive yourself, don’t let it mess you up.
- Get to know yourself
-
What are your passions? Your desires? Figure out what you — not anyone else — want and strive for it. Don’t get stuck in a place of uncertainty. Find something that makes you happy.
- Take care of yourself
-
A big part of self love is self care. Your body and your mind both need care. Exercise, eat right, hydrate, meditate, sleep. Taking the basic steps to care for yourself can greatly improve your mood and energy.
- Be thankful
-
Being gratuitous allows you to be happy with what you already have in life. Instead of fixating on what you wish you had, focus on what great things are already there for you.
- Learn from your experiences
-
Grow from your mistakes. Treat them as learning experiences so that you know what to do and not to do in the future.
- Avoid comparisons
-
Don’t compare yourself to others. They are not you. Don’t compete with others, instead just focus on your PR (personal record) and work on becoming the best you. Live for yourself and no one else. You don’t need comparisons or approval from anyone else.
- Acknowledge your strengths
-
We can get trapped thinking about what we’re bad at that we forget we have a whole arsenal of strengths. You’re your own secret weapon!
- Accept you for you
-
Every quirk is what makes you you, and that’s a good thing. Give yourself the appreciation you deserve. Sometimes the parts you hate about yourself are something that someone else loves about you.
You deserve to be happy. Put in the effort to seek your own happiness; trust me, I’m still searching for my own, but it’s worth it.
