Self love revolves around the concept of acceptance. Accepting yourself for who you are, your beliefs, your emotions. It motivates you to make healthy choices in life. When you hold yourself in self esteem, you're more likely to choose things that nurture your well being and serve you well. These things may be in the way of healthy eating, exercising or even healthy relationships. Meanwhile, Self love and compassion are most needed for someone who’s working too hard and those who are constantly striving to surpass themselves and grasp the shape shifting phantasm of perfection.
Most of the time, when we are being too hard on ourselves, we do it because we are driven by the desire to excel and do everything right, all the time. This entails a lot of self criticism and that persecutory inner voice that constantly tells us how we could have done things better is a hallmark of perfectionism.
It is shown that perfectionists are at a higher risk of several illnesses, both physical and mental, and that self-compassion might free us from its cuffs.
What does self love mean to you?
For starters it can mean, talking to yourself with love, prioritizing yourself, trusting yourself, being true to yourself, setting healthy boundaries, listening to our bodies, taking breaks every now and then, eating healthily.
Here are some ways to practice self love,
i. Becoming mindful: acknowledge your wants and needs
ii. Practicing good self care: nourish yourself with proper nutrition, sleep, exercise, intimacy and healthy social interactions.
iii. Moving on from previous mistakes: we all have committed various mistakes in the past, the only way to move on from them is to forgive yourself and make yourself comfortable.
Writer and Editor: Aarushi Sharma