In this day and age, hearing the word ‘self-love’ isn’t uncommon. Self-love this…, Self-love that…, yet, the concept seems hazy. It’s as simple as the saying goes that you need to love yourself first before you can truly love others. However, most people; especially me until recently; are still struggling with the idea of self-love, thinking what it implies is loving yourself and then you will be happy right? Well, I’m here to tell you that’s not how self-love works.
“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance”
– Oscar Wilde
Falling in love with yourself is not something you can just wake up one morning to and decide “Yeah, this is a good day to fall in love with myself,” No. It’s more than that. Learning to love yourself is one of the most powerful and important things you can do in life. Your heart is your power and when you become the source of love in your own life it changes everything.
But while we all know deep down that it’s important to love yourself, we find the area that people get most stuck on is actually knowing how to do it. It’s definitely going to be a long journey, so get yourself prepared for a lot of loving, as I take you through how you can start practicing the art of self-love.
Your Self-Love Journey Should Include Forgiving and Accepting Yourself
This is the first and most important step in the process of loving yourself. Forgiveness can go a long way especially when it comes to reconciling with with your past. We’ve all made decisions in life, some of which are bad, shameful and filled with regret, but wallowing in it and feeling embarrassed can only add negatively to your mental health.
Everyone makes mistakes. It is only when you realize, accept your flaws, and forgive yourself that you’ll be able to move forward. You shouldn’t put the responsibility of self forgiveness onto other people. Did you hurt someone? Yes, Was it intentional? No. You’re only human. Learning from your mistakes can help you make better and more careful choices in the future.
Start a Gratitude Journal
One way to train your brain to be more positive is by writing down things that you’re grateful for each day. It is a key tool when it comes to practicing self-love because it will have you step into an attitude of gratitude, love and abundance.
By being thankful and showing appreciation for things that have happened to you and the people in your life, you’ll see your relationship with yourself shift into an incredibly loving place. So get yourself a journal and at the end of each day, for the next week, write down the things you’re grateful for and see how good it feels to end your day this way.
Take Yourself On a Date
The process that goes into taking other people on an actual date should be applied here. And in case you’re wondering, Yes! Solo-dating is a thing. It is all about spending quality time with yourself and doing something special, just for you.
By doing something special for yourself, you’re giving yourself the love and attention you’d normally only give out to others. You can treat yourself to something nice by going out to get coffee or going to a museum or even hitting a spa. Remember, it needn’t be anything elaborate – just a few hours dedicated to Y-O-U.
Conclusion
The self-love journey isn’t easy to undertake, but it’s necessary. It might feel weird at first and that’s ok. It isn’t meant to be easy. If it feels uncomfortable at first then even more the reason to do this practice.
When we practice self-love, we cultivate a loving and healthy relationship with ourselves and ultimately we become our own best friend.
References
https://daringtolivefully.com/solo-date
https://theselfspace.com/how-to-really-practice-self-love-4-things-to-remember/
https://www.self.com/story/how-to-love-yourself
