Learning to Love Yourself
Love is in the air when it’s the month of February. However, love need not always be about valentines or sweethearts, but also about loving your own self. Feeling loved is fundamental to Health. As much as it is important to be loved by others, we need to love, give time and take care of our own mind, body and soul. In the current stressful, hectic and competitive environment that we live in, the significance and practice of self-love has become more relevant than ever.
Let’s first understand what self-love is all about. In simpler terms, self-love refers to appreciating yourself and treating yourself with kindness, both in thought as well as in your behaviour. Self-love is about respect and taking active measures to protect and nurture yourself. Although it sounds easy, self-love is a practice that can be learned. Practicing self-love promotes both physical and psychological well-being. It boosts self-esteem and makes you aware of your strengths and allows you to be more accepting of your weaknesses.
Ways to cultivate self–love in our daily life:-
- Practice self-care: Taking care of your basic needs is essential to being mentally healthy. Exercising, maintaining proper nutrition, and getting enough sleep all help to improve and maintain good mental health.
- Focus on your needs, not your wants: Practicing self-love means putting your needs ahead of your wants. It is about choosing to do the things that keep you focused on your goals and moving towards a healthier, happier life.
- Forgive yourself for mistakes: ‘To err is human’. Practicing self-love is about learning to acknowledge those mistakes and growing from them.
- Be proactive and set goals: It can be affirming to set a goal, work towards it regularly, and finally accomplish your goal. Setting reasonable, healthy goals shows that you believe in yourself and your ability to grow.
- Protect yourself and your time: A clear boundary around yourself would communicate how you want to treated by others. Most people struggle with setting boundaries, but they are essential for maintaining healthy relationships with the self and others. Boundaries can help prevent a lot of miscommunication and conflict.
- Be true to yourself: Identify, acknowledge and live in line with your own values, principles, preferences and needs. By acknowledging our strengths and weaknesses, celebrating our personal victories, and asking for help when we need it, we can embody a growth mind-set and have openness and truthfulness in our relationships with others as well as oneself.
- Take responsibility and hold yourself accountable: Self-love involves a lot of reflection, awareness, and humility. When you see yourself for who you truly are in the present moment, you can take accountability for your thoughts and actions.
Loving oneself does not mean you are selfish or narcissist. It just means that you believe you are worthy of love; unconditional love! Your relationship with yourself is the most important relationship you will ever have, as it has direct impact on all your other relationships. As with all habits, practice makes perfect and self-love is something worth practicing as it makes us more resilient in dealing with difficult life situations.
