Love has been overly romanticised to mean something you can only get from someone else. But love is not exclusive to relationships. In fact, self-love is essential for building your ability to love other people. If you don’t know exactly what self-love entails, stick around. We are dropping five self-love tips that everyone needs.
1. Know yourself
In order to practise self-love, you have to know yourself first. Explore your mind for the things you hate about yourself. The things you think you hate might actually be delusional self-loathing that you need to gradually let go of. Knowing yourself and how you think is key to loving yourself.
2. Honour your body
Self-love and self-care are usually misconstrued to mean indulging yourself and doing whatever makes you happy. This is a harmful rhetoric that only ends up putting mone in the hands of capitalist brands. Honouring your body can mean knowing when to force yourself to work out, to forgo that extra glass of alcohol, and not to poison your body with junk food.
3. Challenge yourself
Another way to practice self-love is to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Do not let yourself collapse into a routine. It will kill you slowly. If you love yourself, you will keep pushing to get better and better. Growth is a part of life and when you stop growing, you die.
4. Treat yourself
As much as you don’t want capitalists to get rich off your pockets, once in a while, you have to treat yourself to luxury goods and experiences. Give yourself and your body what is good for it and what it deserves. One massage a month or a fancy pillow could be all you need. Don’t be afraid to invest in things that will actually increase the quality of your life.
5. Be kinder to yourself
As said earlier, a lot of people are guilty of treating people better than they treat themselves. Be more lenient with yourself over the mistakes you make and remember that life is a learning process. As long as you don’t make the same mistakes over and over again, there is no use beating yourself up over the past. Speak positive words to yourself.
Remember to prioritise your mental and emotional health. Don’t let anyone take advantage of you. Above all, knowing your worth and setting healthy boundaries is be the greatest expression of self-love.
