We all think that we do love and are kind to ourselves, and yet our actions and lives say otherwise. We’re so busy waiting for someone to love us that it seems like we have forgotten about that one person that we need to love first – ourselves.
Self-love is essential to your mental health, to your personal and professional growth, to the achievement of your dreams, and to establishing and maintaining healthy, meaningful, happy relationships with other people.
Self-love means accepting and cherishing yourself with all your shortcomings, weaknesses, and imperfections. It means respecting yourself and thinking of yourself in positive ways.
Self-love means taking care of yourself – your mind, body, and spirit. It means being willing and strong enough to take the actions required for your happiness and peace of mind.
It means being willing and determined to set high standards for your relationships and cut all toxic people out of your life. It means being willing to forgive yourself for your mistakes and move on with your life.
So, if you want to practice self-love and be kind to yourself, make sure you start following these 8 simple steps:
1. Embrace your past.
We have all made mistakes and bad decisions. We have all experienced heartbreaks, losses, and emotional pain. We all carry burdens from our past. But what you should remember is that you mustn’t let those burdens weigh you down and prevent you from fully enjoying the beauty of the present moment.
You mustn’t let your unpleasant, negative past experiences define you and stand in the way to your happiness and success. You mustn’t let your past define and affect your future and prevent you from living life to the fullest.
Therefore, instead of dwelling on your past or running away from it, you need to embrace it.
2. Focus on the positive things about yourself.
Most of us tend to focus on what we don’t like about ourselves, such as our flaws, insecurities, and fears. But the truth is that the more you focus on these things, and the more you think of yourself in negative ways, the more these thoughts and negative feelings intensify and turn into beliefs and unavoidably begin to shape your reality.
If you want to avoid creating a negative self-image and feeling bad about yourself, you need to make sure you put all your focus on the things you like about yourself – your strengths, virtues, and successes. Once you start thinking about yourself in a positive and compassionate way, you’ll realize how wonderful you already are.
3. Eliminate the negative influences from your life.
Anyone who says they love you and truly care about you, but they make you feel neglected or ignored, or are not there when you need them the most, or often upset you and hurt your feelings, deserves no place in your life.
Such people are only draining your energy and eating away at your happiness and confidence. They’re not worthy of your time and love and they don’t bring any value to your life. So, if you already have such people in your life, make sure you distance yourself from them as soon as you can.
4. Take more time to do the things you enjoy doing.
Regardless of whether it’s listening to music, watching movies, riding a bicycle, or hanging out with your friends, make sure you set aside more time for it.
Living life at a hectic pace, it’s easy for you to forget about doing the things that fill you with peace, happiness, and positive energy. Therefore, you need to make sure you devote more time to doing the things you want to do, even if that sometimes means declining your friends’ invitation to go to the movies or a party.
5. Take care of your physical health.
Your body always knows what it needs and “informs” you about it by sending you signals. But when you ignore your body’s whispers for rest, healthy diet, and love, you’re sending yourself the message that you are not worth taking care of and loving.
On the other hand, when you take care of your body, i.e. eat healthy food, get enough sleep, and do physical exercises regularly, you send yourself the message that you love and value yourself and that you’re worth everybody’s love and appreciation.
6. Get out of your comfort zone.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong about living your life in your comfort zone – the state where worry, stress, and fear are minimal. But this can turn into a serious problem if you become too comfortable and begin holding yourself back instead of trying new things and allowing yourself to learn and grow.
So, if there’s something you have always wanted to do or a place you have always wanted to visit, but haven’t because you lacked confidence or strength, make sure you get out there and do it. Experiencing new things will boost your confidence and create a sense of adventure, and it can also help you achieve things you never believed you could.
7. Practice acts of kindness towards others.
Be kind, compassionate, and considerate toward other people. Be always willing to do small and great tasks to help those who live in your house, your neighborhood, or your community. Let others know that there’s someone who truly cares about their feelings, needs, and problems.
Treating others with kindness and compassion and sharing your love with them will give you a sense of fulfillment and bring more love into your life.
8. Appreciate and be grateful for your life.
As the well-known American author and motivational speaker Susan Orman says: “When you are grateful – when you can see what you have – you unlock blessings to flow in your life.”
The problem is that we all tend to focus our attention on the things we want to change about ourselves, our career, and our relationships with others as well as the things we’re missing in our lives.
But if you stop focusing on all this and, instead, focus on and embrace the things you already have in your life as well as all the people who truly love and care about you, you’ll open the road for many more of those things to come.
When you’re grateful for everything that you already have in your life, loving yourself more is unavoidable.
Riley Cooper is a professional writer who writes informative and creative articles on topics related to various fields of study. Written with love and enthusiasm, her articles inspire readers to broaden their knowledge of the world, think and get ready to act. If you have a general question or comment please fill out the form and we will get back to you as soon as possible https://curiousmindmagazine.com/contact-us/
