Self-love is one of the most important forms of love. Many people neglect to love themselves truly because they often equate it with being selfish. However, it should not be mistaken for a negative emotional need. Loving yourself unconditionally is a very important step to be happy. It will also allow you to have the power and the energy to genuinely share the same amount of love, care, and compassion with other people.
Here are the most beautiful ways to truly love yourself.
1. Know who you are and what you want to become.
Know yourself first and ask questions about yourself. What makes you happy? What are the things that are important to you? What makes you feel lonely? And what makes you dream? By identifying even the simplest aspects of oneself that many people take for granted, you’ll see why you deserve all the good things that you keep on offering the world.
2. Recognize your strengths and focus on their potential.
Truly loving yourself means allowing yourself to embrace your strength. Once you know what makes you, you, you’ll finally point out the things that make you one-of-a-kind and extraordinary. If you understand your strengths, you’ll see your potential, as a person, a lover, a friend, an employee, a citizen of the world, and as a human being.
3. Make an effort to take care of your body.
Aside from recognizing your inner strength, strengthening your body is also an act of self-love. This can be done by just choosing the right decisions when it comes to the food you eat, the type of lifestyle that you want to live in, and the effort you put into staying active and fit. Allot time for self-love, aka, daily or weekly workouts and healthy meal plans. Most importantly, remember to get enough rest and take breaks.
4. Don’t neglect your mental health.
Aside from physical health, also make your mental health a priority. A healthy mind helps us see things from a clear perspective. It also helps us avoid making impulsive and irrational decisions. Taking care of your mental health also includes avoiding situations that don’t deserve your energy or presence, such as toxic relationships and environments. Take care of yourself by choosing yourself first, setting boundaries, and providing your mind with the space to breathe.
5. Forgive yourself for the mistakes you made in the past.
Loving yourself means not being too hard on yourself, especially when it comes to the mistakes you did in the past. The healing that comes after forgiving yourself can set you free from the burden of overthinking and self-hate. As long as you’ve learned your lessons, truly love yourself by moving on from what has been. Embrace the present with hope for the future and not with regrets from the past.
Also read: How to be Happy Again After a Breakup: 11 Helpful Tips
6. Discover your spirituality and let it nurture your soul.
Truly loving yourself means giving yourself the gift of establishing a relationship with the divine. Explore your spirituality and embrace the extraordinary love and happiness that your faith can offer to nurture your soul. This feeling can never be replicated and allowing yourself to experience the power of faith is the greatest form of self-love.
7. Allow yourself to love and be loved back.
Truly loving yourself also means allowing yourself to love other people and accept the same love that you can offer. Don’t be afraid to express how you feel. At the same time, open yourself to the love that other people want to give you. Heartbreaks and frustrations brought about by failed relationships can be scary but not letting yourself experience true love because of fear can be one of your life’s greatest regrets.
8. Don’t rely on external sources for your happiness.
While it’s important to feel loved and be happy with other people, remind yourself not to rely on other people for your happiness. Truly loving yourself means making sure that you can stand on your own. When you love yourself enough, you know that you can always be happy even if you’re alone.
9. Acknowledge your flaws and work on them.
Truly loving yourself is also recognizing that you are not perfect and you have your flaws. Self-love starts when there is self-acceptance. The same acceptance will help you identify what you need to work on, how you can be better, and how it will help change your life.
Also read: 16 Wise Ways to be a Better Person in a Relationship
10. Don’t let other people define your worth.
While it’s important to acknowledge your effect on people and how they react to your actions or words, don’t let what they think about you define your worth. Loving yourself means having the courage to step up and speak up for yourself. Loving yourself means defending yourself from those who think that your being imperfect makes you less of a person. Impose yourself, be brave enough to fight for yourself. Be proud of who you are and what you can offer.
11. Let yourself dream and have the courage to take risks.
Knowing your worth also means claiming your dreams and having the courage to take the risks to achieve them. Loving yourself means creating opportunities for yourself to grow. Love yourself more by getting out of your comfort zone and taking the first brave steps to make your dreams a reality.
12. Don’t let things, occupation, or peer pressure control your life.
Achieving your dreams doesn’t have to involve letting material things, your career, and pressure from other people control your life. It’s important to aim for these things since realistically, these are essential to living a comfortable life. However, understand what really matters. You can start by knowing your priorities. Truly loving yourself means choosing yourself first, taking care of yourself first, and prioritizing your wellbeing.
13. Allow yourself to establish connections and rekindle bonds.
Loving yourself means letting yourself connect with other people and rekindle lost friendships and relationships that you lost just because life happened. Grant yourself the gift of love and second chances. Express how you feel about someone special, send a “hello” to that high school friend you lost touch with because of your busy schedules. Reach out and make peace with the people you hurt in the past.
14. Take the first step and discover new things about yourself.
Loving yourself means exploring possibilities and potentials. Believe that you are meant for something good and you can work hard to be someone that you’ve aspired to be since you were young: make time for that childhood dream of yours. Start with that new hobby that you’ve been putting on hold. Enroll in that cooking class. The options are endless!
15. Aspire to be better and look forward to your future.
Lastly, loving yourself means believing that you can be a better person and you can look forward to a better future. Self-doubt often sabotages and convinces you that you are not capable of becoming your best self just because you have not lived the best life in the past. Genuine self-love means being hopeful and having faith that someday, you will be happy. That someday, you’ll look back at your past self and tell them that they’re gonna be okay. Better days will come, so just hold on.
Be patient.
Learning how to love yourself is a long process and it doesn’t happen overnight. You have to be kinder to yourself and be a little more patient in dealing with your weaknesses and your strengths. It is only by fully knowing ourselves that we finally understand that we also deserve the same love that we’ve been trying to give everyone.
Also read: How to Love Yourself in a Relationship: 15 Ways to Practice Self-Love
