All of us long to feel loved and accepted. Too often, we look to external factors to provide us with that love and acceptance: The affirmation of someone else, a source of stability in our professional life, friends, or family.
But real security and happiness come when we find love and acceptance inside ourselves. Self-love is strong because it isn’t subject to the vagaries of another person. Instead, it’s something we can cultivate each and every day, through habits, rituals, or activities that bolster our confidence and self-worth.
As you look for practical ways to show yourself some love, here are a few of our favorite approaches.
How to Show Self-Love
1) Let Go of Trying to Be Perfect.
Measuring yourself against a false definition of “perfection” is a shortcut to despair. The truth is, none of us have it all together, and none of us are physically, emotionally, or intellectually faultless. But you don’t have to be perfect to deserve love and inner happiness!
2) Practice Gratitude.
Daily gratitude is an essential step toward greater self-love. Take two or three minutes each day to catalog some of the things you’re grateful for, whether that’s in a journey, a blog, or an Instagram post. Your gratitude could be for something as major as your life, health, and family; as mundane as a bag of M&Ms or a cool evening breeze.
3) Eat Healthier.
Your mental health is always going to be affected by the things you put into your body. If you eat unhealthy foods, you’re much more likely to feel guilty or ashamed. Natural foods will make it easier for you to practice self-love and self-acceptance.
4) Move Around.
Physical activity will give you an endorphin rush, along with a real sense of accomplishment. Take a Zumba class, go for a swim, take a bike ride… just do something to get up and get moving!
5) Be Unique.
There’s no one quite like you… and that’s amazing! Spend some time thinking about the things that distinguish you from everyone else; the things that make you you. Those are things worth celebrating. And, worth loving.
6) Try Meditation.
Take a few minutes every day to calm your mind. Breathe in. Breathe out. Simply be. There are plenty of resources out there to guide you through the practice of meditation, including YouTube channels, apps, and beyond.
7) Keep Learning.
Another way to practice self-love? Broaden your knowledge. Expand your mind. Take a class to learn a new skill, or simply check out some library books on a subject you’ve never learned about before. Make yourself into a lifelong learner, with a daily practice of curiosity and intellectual enrichment.
8) Check Your Stress.
Nothing gnaws at your mental health like stress does. And while stress is an unavoidable part of life, there are plenty of ways to manage it. Find your own constructive option for dealing with stress, whether that’s painting, journaling, yoga, or something else.
9) Celebrate Your Accomplishments.
Get into the habit of celebrating your milestones, no matter how big or how small. Allow yourself to feel happy any time you accomplish something. Give yourself a pat on the back. For the really major achievements, treat yourself in some way. You deserve to feel celebrated.
10) Laugh.
You’ve heard the old saying about laughter being the best medicine. It’s a cliche, but there really are medical benefits to frequent laughter. Certainly, when you fill your day with little eruptions of joy, it makes it that much easier to love and accept yourself. Look for any excuse you can find to laugh each day.
Love Yourself Today
We all need to feel loved. We need love from others, but we also need to feel at peace with ourselves. Cultivate some daily self-love practices today.
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