Learn to love yourself


There’s a lot of focus on love in the world, in fact, many people believe it’s the reason for living, but most of the time, this love is romantic or familial love. Although loving other people, whether that’s a spouse, our children or our friends, is amazing, we often forget about loving ourselves. Here are some tips on how to learn to love yourself.

Forgive yourself

We all make mistakes, and holding a grudge will only leave you with negative feelings. Look back on some of the decisions you’ve made that turned out to be bad choices or the mistakes you may have made in the past and simply forgive yourself. Promise to do better, but ultimately let go and forget about the past.

Photo: Unsplash.com

Spend time alone

It might seem quite daunting to spend time alone, but as with any relationship, doing something nice together (or in this case, with yourself), is an excellent way to bond. Take yourself on a date, perhaps for a walk around an art gallery, a trip to the cinema or even just for some food. Don’t be afraid of your own company.

Practise self-care

We put so much pressure on ourselves, and not enough focus on looking after our mind, body, and soul. Practise regular self-care, ensuring that you eat well, get enough sleep, and treat yourself to things that make you feel good, such as a hot bath, or exercise.

Try new things

Getting out of your comfort zone is a fantastic way to shake things up in your life and begin to love yourself a little more. Perhaps you could start a new hobby, or learn a skill that you’ve always been interested in, or simply challenging yourself to something such as a marathon, or even a skydive if you’re feeling really brave! New experiences are a great way to get a new perspective and realize what you are capable of.

Make a list of your best bits

If someone you loved were to ask you why you loved them, you’d be able to write a whole list easily, and it’s essential to try and do this for yourself too. Focus on the things you’ve achieved, both big and small, and the aspects of yourself that you’re proud of. Perhaps your degree or that you are a good driver.

Photo: Unsplash.com

Surround yourself with the best people

Although we have established that it’s important to spend time alone, the people that you do surround yourself with, in your daily life also have an impact on how you feel about yourself. Toxic friends will make you feel negative about yourself, and you may not even realize that they are doing it. Take stock of the relationships in your life and see whether they make your life better or worse. Respect and love yourself enough to let go of those that no longer serve you.

Say no

In the same vein, remind yourself that it’s okay to say no to anything that you don’t want to do. So many of us are people-pleasers and will put everyone else before ourselves. This will often mean you work hard helping others, at the detriment of yourself. Give yourself permission to say no.

In today’s society, it can be challenging to love yourself – it’s certainly not the default, and yet it is so important. Give these tips and try and see how your life is transformed.

Recommended For You

Learn to love yourself

There’s a lot of focus on love in the world, in fact, many people believe it’s the reason for living,

Great ways to curl your hair

There’s no denying the beauty of curly hair.  Whether it’s loose wavy curls or tight ringlets, a head of curly,