“Each of us needs to show how much we care for each other and care for ourselves in the process.” – Diana, Princess of Wales
We all love to be loved. We want to feel valued and experience the wonderful benefits this world can offer. However, there are times we may feel that there is a heavy burden on our shoulders.
There are moments when we face the mirror, and we seem not to like the reflection we see. During the times we fail, we often get frustrated with ourselves. We become disappointed with what we achieved and even compared what we’ve got to the success of others. This is when we become weaker as we welcome negative thoughts. We then hate ourselves without even thinking that it will affect us adversely. To avoid all these, we should learn how to nurture self-love and become a better version of ourselves each day.
Practicing self-love doesn’t need to be challenging and extravagant. It does not demand any complicated inclusion of rules and regulations from other people. You do not have to be cruel to yourself by setting too many restrictions. Everything should start with the belief that you are worthy of respect and appreciation.
What is Self-Love?
Self-love is described as the way of embracing who you really are. It’s all about knowing and accepting everything- the good, the bad, the positive, and the negative. It covers the way how you really appreciate yourself, as well as your skills and capabilities. And finally, it’s about accepting the fact that we all have weaknesses and shortcomings, just like everyone else.
How to Nurture Self Love: Tips You Should Know
We all are created with our own identities, but that doesn’t mean that we are less capable compared to others. As long as we work hard and believe in ourselves, we will be able to accomplish something better.
Here are some of the best ways you can apply to nurture self-love:
1. Know yourself
For some people, it may seem an easy thing to do. However, knowing yourself is more than just identifying your name. It’s far beyond that. It’s discovering who you REALLY are. This is the first and foremost that you should learn. When you know yourself 100%, there is the only time you will be able to love it wholeheartedly. Know that your soul is a divine and powerful energy. You are unique; yes, you are a miracle. You can excel, and you can do more!
2. Build a deeper connection with yourself
Another way to nurture self-love is to develop a deeper connection with yourself. There are many ways to do that. You can try doing yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. You can join a boot camp or enroll in courses where there are coaches who will guide you through creating peace of mind and deeper self-connection. This will also help you create a life that is full of self-worth, respect, happiness, satisfaction, and gratitude.
3. Be kind to yourself
You are what you think and do. Your mind, body, and soul are connected. When one does not function well, then everything will not be in balance. Be kind to yourself. Take care of yourself. Be conscious of your physical health. Get the right nutrition and avoid unhealthy foods. Keep yourself hydrated and get rid of unhealthy habits. At work, you should promote proper posture. Use ergonomic equipment to make sure you will be free from a sedentary lifestyle. Avoid stress. Choose to be happy and healthy.
4. Try something new
We all have a dream of achieving something out of the normal- not extraordinary but anything beyond our comfort zone. Try and learn something new. When you accomplish something that you can be proud of, then it would definitely boost your confidence.
5. Create healthy boundaries; learn to say ‘No’
Most of us are too careless saying ‘Yes’ too often, without knowing that there can be consequences with it. We should also learn how to say ‘No’ when, after weighing things, we found out that it will cause more harm than benefits.
Learn how to create healthy boundaries. It is not wrong to make yourself free from adversity, lies, and hesitation. Learning to say ‘No’ sometimes does more good than harm.
6. Be patient
Life is not a race; so, do not rush things. Rushing things can make people stumble and fail. Be patient. Best things are given and achieved in the most perfect timing. Taking the road carefully and learning as you walk on to it will bring you to the right destination. This is also a way of loving yourself because you are giving yourself time to think and appreciate things first. Remember, if you hurry too much, you may end up making the wrong decisions in life.
7. Let your pain and failures become your comfort and strength
Nobody can say that life is always perfect. The sun may shine brightly in the morning, and then thunderstorms may happen in the evening. And so is life. There can be happiness and laughter. However, there can also be pains and failures. Instead of becoming weaker because of them, use those failures and pain to become indestructible. You can always be better than the version of yourself yesterday.
8. Be forgiving to yourself
You should not be cruel to yourself. We are humans, and part of being one is committing errors or mistakes. It’s normal because nobody is perfect. The best thing that we can do is to take responsibility for every action we make. Problems are there to be solved. All we need is to develop a mindset to learn how to stand up for our mistakes and find a solution to solve them. You need not hate yourself or blame someone else. Forgiveness should always be in our hearts. Only then we can find peace in ourselves and create a better start with our lives.
9. Choose your circle of friends
Living a life we have now is like driving to our destination. If you use the right vehicle, we can arrive safely to where we are going. Just like in life, we should surround ourselves with the right people. Do not let narrow-minded and negative-thinking individuals deprive you of loving who you really are. Be with people who are willing to share happiness with you, uplift you when you are down, and keep pushing you to boost your confidence.
10. Be grateful
Lastly, be grateful to everything you have- big or small. They are all blessings for you to keep and hold. Gratitude makes your heart happier and appreciative. You become aware of the countless blessings that you have. Then, that is the time you will realize that you can also be a big blessing to your family and friends. You will appreciate and love yourself a bit more.
Final Thoughts
We are all created special. That is why we should not compare ourselves to others. We should learn how to embrace our flaws and enhance our skills and strengths. Nurturing self-love doesn’t need to be complicated. As a matter of fact, it only entails a realization that when we give value to ourselves and believe how beautiful and unique we are, we can become better in every aspect we may be in.
