Wait, you also think that self-love is narcissistic and childish like millions of people out there? Do you also believe that it is cheesy and self-indulgent? Self-obsessed and conceited? Well, if yes, I would so love to prove you wrong.
Your heart is the source of love, and when you use this heart to love the person who matters the most to you — yourself — it can quite literally change everything. Your career, your health, your love life, everything.
Well, loving oneself is unarguably the most difficult task to do, especially in times like these where we hardly live for ourselves.
Self-love is literally what it sounds like; loving oneself. It’s loving the very essence of YOU. Accepting your mistakes, embracing your flaws, celebrating your virtues, and everything in between.
It’s holding the best standards for you, definitely not in a way to be called haughty or hubristic but to prove that you deserve to be treated nothing less than a certain standard.
When we start loving ourselves, we create magic within ourselves, the kind of magic no one else can create. We become our greatest friends and the most trusted well-wishers.
But all that said, it’s not easy to self-love. Everyone has their own methods; I have mine. If you are just a beginner and want to dive into the pool of self-love, I won’t mind sharing my methods with you. Let’s start.
1. Write a love letter to yourself
Okay, you might think I sound cringy here, but I know I am not. You sometimes need that love you wish someone gave you. But you are your own captain. So take out a pen and a paper and start writing.
Write about everything you are grateful for, the people you love and care for, the people who give you joy, inspiration, and happiness. Write about what makes you happy, what are the things you are good at.
If you are going through some challenges and tough times, write all the advice you would give to someone going through the same. If you are doing great, appreciate yourself the way you would appreciate others.
Sign off the letter with love and post it. You will feel so loved when you will receive it a week later.
2. Hang Out with YOURSELF
Have you ever thought of pampering yourself with a day out, away from all your work stress and trauma? Well, if not, this is the time you do it. Get ready like you are going with your partner.
Take yourself out on a Sunday to your favorite cafe to have your favorite cheesecake and some coffee. Go for a spa once in a while. Let yourself soak in some lavender flavored bubble bath with a wine in hand.
This is the most fun part of self-loving, as you finally turn the love you have been giving to others to yourself. You will be amazed at what revelations bubble up when you give yourself the time and space you actually long for.
3. Start a gratitude Journal
The gratitude journal has been proven as a tool to instantly fill you up with positive and happy vibes. Humans have all they want in life still aren’t satisfied because they don’t know how to practice gratitude. Practicing gratitude helps you acknowledge what all you have.
So buy a new book and start today. Write at least 5 things you are grateful for every day: the material things, the people, and the experiences. Mention the tasks you are excellent at, things no one can beat you in. In the end, mention one quality about yourself that you love and are thankful for, and you will see your relationship with yourself transforming into something really wonderful.
4.Give Attention To Your Body
I cannot emphasize the importance of your physical health for the well-being of your mental health. Your body gives signals to your mind, and that’s how you decide you are feeling good or bad on a particular day.
So it is essential to take time out of your daily routine to work on something your body would love. Love in the longer run, of course. For example, you could try doing some yoga, run in the morning, meditate, etc. I personally run one hour daily in the morning. It boosts the endorphins, making me feel content all throughout the day.
You definitely want to keep your stunning body full of energy and vitality. Try this and make your body feel great.
5. Find Your Happy Place
A Happy Place is a place where you feel the most of yourself; you feel a different kind of happiness, where you can embrace yourself without thinking of anything else in the world.
In fact, a happy place shouldn’t be a place specifically; it can be a person too. The person who is “YOUR” person, with whom you feel the most lively. Just find that person or that place and take out time for yourself to be there.
Spending time with your core people wouldn’t make you just happy but will act as a funnel to roundabout their love to you, and who doesn’t like to be loved?
6.Nourish Yourself
It’s imperative to be careful about what you put into your body, not because you want to look great, but because you want to feel great. The way we feed ourselves showcases how much we love ourselves.
If you keep fueling your body with junk, you will feel no less than junk yourself. So fill your fridge with some super nutritious food and binge it over the weekend. Give your body the foods it deserves and see the love oozing out with each and every bite.
Also, in the process, don’t forget to care about your mind too. Junk for your mind is negative thoughts and negative people. Stay away from it, and you will see the difference in your outlook.
7. And Finally, Accept Yourself The Way You Are
Acceptance is the ability to unconditionally love all parts of you, the good, the bad, and the ugly. For most of us, self-acceptance can be tough because of how critical we are of ourselves.
We do not cut ourselves some slack when it comes to forgiving ourselves. Holding onto past mistakes and grudges will take us nowhere. Instead, we could accept, learn, and let go of it to live better and happier.
So today, take an oath: Celebrate your strengths, work on your weaknesses, forgive yourself for your mistakes, and honor yourself for your achievements. Accept the one you truly are and be proud of it, because
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
— Sharon Salzberg
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: Bart LaRue on Unsplash