Love isn’t just a romance between two people. Self-love, or the devotion and care we give ourselves, can actually be deeper and more meaningful than the relationships that we’re in with other people. As the old saying goes, you won’t be able to truly love others if you don’t love yourself first!
If you feel like you need some help when it comes to self-love, check out the following tips that can help you have a healthy and loving relationship with yourself. If you can achieve these five emotional goals, you’ll be more confident and happier, and you will be able to give more love to the people around you that you care for.
- Rid Yourself of Real and Imagined Toxic Voices
The soundtrack we play in our heads about ourselves is quite powerful. If yours constantly puts you down, how will you ever be able to love yourself? Take time and listen to how you talk to yourself. Try to do this in some different situations, like after you make a mistake, when you’re feeling sad, when you accomplish a goal, or even when you’re just alone with your own thoughts. You might be surprised about the critical nature of your inner monologue.
As you listen to your soundtrack, try to be conscious of who the voices in your head belong to. Are you hearing your significant other? Or your parents? Or that mean girl that put you down when you were in middle school? Discerning who’s the source of those critical thoughts is an important component of ridding yourself of them.
- Accept Your Body Just As it Is
Everyone has hang-ups about their bodies. Minor displeasure and aggravation regarding our bodies often come and go. But intrusive, pervasive thoughts can lead us to hate our physical bodies, which blocks us from achieving self-love. Just because you want to change some of the things about your physical body doesn’t mean you shouldn’t or can’t feel loving towards it.
- Tap In to Your Passions and Talents
Tapping your talents or going after things you want are ways to tell yourself that you’re important enough to try. The dreams and the goals that you have for yourself, as long as the things you know that you excel at, should not be left unfulfilled. take the steps necessary to explore the possibilities, and then go for it!
- Believe That You Are Good Enough
There are countless ways of telling yourself that you’re not worthy. This mindset can make you feel like you’re an impostor in your own life. But if you want to find self-love, you must accept that you are good enough for everything life has to offer you. This is especially true of the good stuff!
- Let Yourself Make Mistakes
A constant expectation of perfection can keep you from loving yourself. Nobody is perfect. You likely do not hold others to super-high and unattainable standards. So why hold yourself to them? Failure can be good for the soul because it is usually a learning experience, and can build character. Open yourself the opportunity to learn, and to the vulnerability that comes along with mistakes.
Loving yourself is an experience everyone deserves.