Embracing Yourself: The Power of Self Love in Everyday Life
February is notable for a few reasons, one of which being Valentine’s Day. The purpose of Valentine’s Day as we know it to be now is to celebrate romantic love, friendship, and family. However, before you can fully embrace the beauty of having romantic love, friendship and family, you must be able to embrace yourself and show yourself love. This blog post will dive into what self love is, why it is important, how to identify if you struggle with lack of self love, and tips on what to do to love yourself more.
What is self love?
Self love is the act or practice of engaging in positive acts of kindness, appreciation, and gratitude towards yourself. While self love may seem straightforward in theory, in practice it can be challenging for many people to demonstrate.
Why is it challenging for me to show self love?
Your ability to show yourself love can be difficult to do if it is not a natural part of your life and if you have had certain experiences that impacted how you value yourself. Some of the potential causes behind why you lack self love could be
Adverse childhood experiences such as bullying, neglect, or abuse
Having hypercritical parents or caregivers
Being a victim of a traumatic life event
Undergoing major life stressors
Undergoing life transitions
Struggling with persistent negative self talk
Having low self esteem and low self worth
Unrealistic societal expectations
Self love is an ever changing process as you continue to evolve as a person, so it’s important to understand that your ability to and the way you show yourself love could also evolve over time.
Why is self love important?
Self love is important because it influences your perception of yourself, your value, and your overall worth. People who struggle with lack of self love are more likely to struggle with poor mental health and wellbeing. People who show themselves love have higher self esteem, higher self confidence, decreased stress, stronger relationships, and live more fulfilled lives. Self love serves as the foundation for how you will allow yourself to be treated, how you carry yourself in the world, and what you attract to yourself.
What are signs I struggle with low self love?
If you are struggling with low self love, you may notice you have difficulty maintaining healthy relationships, you engage in self sabatoging behaviors, you are frequently dissatisfied with yourself, or you have a hard time being vulnerable and affectionate with others. People who struggle with showing themselves love are more likely to develop mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.
How can I improve my self love?
Everyone is different and unique in their own way, so the methods you choose to show yourself love can vary depending on what you value. Self love is unique to each individual but here are some examples of ways you can show yourself love.
Speak to yourself the way you would speak to a friend.
Engage in a self care day at least once a week
Take a break from social media
Spend quality time with yourself
Journal self reflection prompts
Use positive affirmations
Be mindful of who you share your time and energy with
Identify your strengths
Give yourself grace
Exercise
Eat a balanced diet
As you grow and evolve, your way of showing yourself love will also grow and evolve. There is no right way to show yourself love as long as you’re being kind to yourself and truly embracing who you are.
Do you need support on getting started with showing yourself love?
We have licensed professionals at CoreWellness, LLC that can help you process what is preventing you from showing yourself love. Book a free consultation today or contact us through our website. Although it’s called self love, you do not have to figure it all out on your own. Self love is also understanding when you need support and being willing to ask for it.
