“TO FALL IN LOVE WITH YOURSELF IS THE FIRST SECRET TO HAPPINESS”
Robert Morley
We all at some point have constantly been told by people around us “agar mood kharab ho” or “if things are always going wrong” start engaging in self-love-related actions and everything will become better. So let’s look at what this self-love is that people constantly talk about.
It is critical to love oneself to have a happy and healthy life. It has an impact on who you choose as a mate, how you present yourself at work, and how you deal with challenges in your life. It is so vital to your health that I want you to understand how to incorporate more of it into your life.
WHAT IS SELF-LOVE?
Is self-love something you can achieve with a new set of clothes or a makeover? Is it possible to obtain more of it by reading something inspiring? Is it possible that a new relationship will help you love yourself even more? To all of these queries, the answer is no. Although they feel good and are satisfying, these activities do not allow you to grow in self-love.
Self-love entails accepting oneself, treating oneself with kindness and respect, and nurturing one’s growth and well-being. Self-love involves your ideas and feelings about yourself as well as how you treat yourself. So, when you think about self-love, try to imagine what you would do for yourself, how you would speak to yourself, and how you would feel about yourself if you were loved and cared for.
SO WHAT DOES SELF-LOVE LOOK LIKE?
Some examples of self-love include:-
Saying positive affirmations
Forgiving self for mistakes
Asking for help when you need it
Understanding your strengths
Working on your weakness
Setting realistic expectations
Constantly challenging yourself for growth
Noticing even the smallest progress you make
And there are many more such examples that help us understand what self-love looks like. The first part of practicing self-love is understanding what it means and looks like and the second part is all about how to cultivate self-love habits in your life.
A SIMPLE 7-STEP GUIDE TO PRACTICE SELF-LOVE
BEING MINDFUL:- A major part of practicing self-love involves being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and values and acting on those instead of what others around you feel or think about you.
ACT ON WHAT YOU NEED RATHER THAN WHAT YOU WANT:- The minute you focus on your needs your priorities and goals in life become clearer and you can stay on track with what needs to be done.
PRACTICE BETTER SELF-CARE:- One another part of self-love is taking care of your physical and mental health. Exercise regularly and practice healthy eating habits to take better care of yourself.
SET BOUNDARIES:- Saying NO is one of the most important but difficult things ever but it is very important to understand that unless you set healthy boundaries for yourself it will become easy for others around you to hurt you.
PROTECT YOURSELF:- Surround yourself with people who challenge you to grow and not by people who incite you to harm yourself or others for their gains.
FORGIVE YOURSELF:- Remember you are human hence you will make mistakes. It is alright to make mistakes but remember to always learn from those mistakes so that you don’t go through it again,
LIVE INTENTIONALLY:- When you live with purpose and design, you will accept and appreciate yourself more, regardless of what is going on in your life. You don’t have to know exactly what you’re doing. If you want to live a meaningful and healthy life, you’ll make decisions that support that goal, and you’ll feel good about yourself if you achieve it. If you see yourself completing what you set out to do, you will love yourself even more. To do so, you must first determine your living intentions.
Self-love isn’t about brag-worthy accomplishments. People who love themselves in a healthy way understand that they are flawed and make mistakes, but they accept and care for themselves regardless of their flaws. Self-love doesn’t mean you can’t care about others; it only means you can treat yourself with the same kindness you show others.
Importance of Professional Counseling: A friend or family member may listen to you, but they aren’t professionally, technically qualified or experienced to offer you professional advice. If you wish you can contact us at MindTribe to receive help from our team of expert psychologists.
About MindTribe.in.
MindTribe Founder Dr. Prerna Kohli, India’s eminent psychologist, established the company to leverage the strength of the online to make counseling affordable and accessible to everyone. MindTribe provides counseling, workshops, support groups, forums, and eLearning.
About the Author.
Rujusmitaa Panicker is a psychologist at MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.
Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.