You need to love yourself
Do you love yourself? Most of us like to think we do, but what does “love yourself” really mean? Self-love is a term that is often thrown around even in normal conversation. We all have likely heard:
“Dude you need to love yourself”
“Why don’t you love yourself?”
“You can’t love someone else if you don’t love yourself first.”
While it sounds simple in theory, the truth is, practicing self-love can be challenging. To love yourself means to fully accept yourself for who you are, which can feel impossible at times because as humans we tend to be our own worst critics. On this journey you will probably have days where you feel great, energized, and positive, but also know that there will be days where you don’t feel the same, and that’s just okay. Even when you consciously practice self-love, you may sometimes feel grumpy, tired, anxious, sad, lonely, or defeated. On those days, remember that you’re human, in the process of growing, and allowed to feel the full range of emotions on any given day. Life is hard, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking the bad, with the good.
You should know and love yourself
We have seen that sometimes some of us tend to get so caught up loving others that we end up neglecting ourselves in the process. Loving yourself is an inside job. It requires us to show ourselves the same kind of attention, kindness, and compassion we show others. It’s an intentional practice that involves time and patience. Self-love is not just loving ourselves but is also about giving time and energy to ourselves so that we could become a better version of ourselves.
Self-love and Self-esteem
Self-love is considered to be an important component of self-esteem and overall well-being. To build a strong sense of self-esteem, and the confidence that develops from it, aim to develop good habits (and to break bad ones!). Look after your physical and mental health. Make sure that you’re getting enough sleep and eating properly because what we intake has a lot to do with our mood, behavior, and thought process. Working on your personal branding (by personal branding we mean making ourselves valuable in our own eyes) can also have a positive impact on your self-confidence.
If you can project a positive image of your authentic self, you’ll likely start to receive the positive feedback that’s so important to your self-confidence.
Conclusion
Self-love is a package made out of self-esteem, self-acceptance and the kindness one can show to oneself in different situations. Self-love does not mean you’re selfish. It means that you’ve finally learned what makes you happy, what your standards and boundaries are.
You’re finally okay with cutting off whatever doesn’t feel right in your life. You treat everyone with the same amount of love and respect, but now you also know that your time and feelings are just as valuable as any others.
“To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance”.
Oscar Wilde
