Self Love is like a plant, the more you water it nurture it, the better fruit and growth you will receive. Self Love is what is left when you let go of all the ways you hate yourself.
Self-Love can’t be quantified just as love can’t be quantified. You need to look after yourself first to care for and love others. You cannot love someone if you don’t know how to love yourself!
8 Tips to Nurture Self-Love
a. Never compare yourself to others and be influenced and hamper yourself with negative thoughts on how they are doing more than you. You should never get influenced by their attractive social media that never show their struggles and troubles. You are doing well and will do better soon. Instead, compare yourself with what you were yesterday and feel grateful for the progress you make.
Remember- you never bathe in the same river again because it’s not the same river, and it’s not the same you. So keep growing.
b. Let go of self-destructive thoughts and self-destructive impulses and stop judging the things you can’t control in your life. There are certain things in life that you can’t control. Instead of trying to hold on to everything, let the things blow and flow with it. It will get better soon.
c. Fake it till you make it is a very popular and highly successful technique when it comes to nurturing self-love. It is magnificent how our brain works. If it is self-esteem, simply act up your confidence. Use body language to your advantage until one day, you don’t have to try, and it comes from within. Always try to keep a smile on your face, even if you aren’t feeling good. Smile is highly contagious in a good way and can help you be a happier self.
d. Mirror Work- Give yourself a pep talk every morning while looking at the mirror. Look straight into the eyes and say, “I am amazing, and I will put myself ahead before others.” This might sound a little childish, and you may feel a little awkward at the beginning, but this provides you with immense confidence and the power to live through the day. You can choose your words and say what you would want to hear. Now say them to yourself.
e. Invest in yourself- The biggest and the most important investment is in you. You have 24 hours a day and can easily take out 2-3 hours for yourself, spend some time alone, rethink your life’s purpose, or learn something you fancy. Instead of always being there for everyone, every once in a while, try to be there for yourself.
f. Practice meditation and journaling to increase self-awareness- Without knowing what you want and what you need, self-love is hardly possible. Meditate in the morning or evening in a comfortable corner in your house. For journaling, you can choose an area of your life that you would like to know more about, like your job or a relationship. Think of the questions and sit down every night to answer these questions.
g. Acknowledge the fact that you can’t be perfect at everything and stop punishing yourself for those things in your life. When we are alone, we often tend to look at only those aspects of our life that are not perfect and keep cursing are self for those. Instead, try to look at the brighter side, i.e., the things that you are good at, and feel happy and content.
h. React with compassion instead of punishment- Often, our reaction to sufferings or mistakes is destructive, and we obsess over those things for a long time. What would you have done if a loved one made a mistake? You wouldn’t scold them and make them feel bad for what they did. Instead, you would try to lighten their mood and help them get motivated and not lose hope. This is exactly what you have to do for yourself!
The most important thing is to stop lying to yourself about who you are. You don’t have to edit yourself and be someone you are not just to be accepted by society. Don’t let peer pressure and the fear of being judged by society force you to become something you are not. In a world full of copies, be an original.
i. Put yourself at the top of your to-do list every day, and the rest will fall to place. Before trying to save others, you need to save yourself. Focus on yourself and strive hard to be a better version of yourself each day. Don’t let people take you for granted and also take yourself for granted. The day you stop keeping yourself a priority is a day you lost yourself.
Self Love is not selfish. It is not narcissistic, and it is not egotistical. You can’t pour from an empty cup. You need to put yourself first and serve your needs before you put yourself out for others.
The world is a selfish place to live in, and there are very few people who genuinely care for you, so it’s your job to look after yourself. Taking care of your needs first is essential to giving your loved ones the best you have got, including all your love.
