With the pandemic raging all over the world right now, self-love is more important than ever before. It’s easier said than done, though, because while everyone wants to love and accept themselves, few people know how to actually do it.
So, how do you fall in love with yourself?
The first step to falling in love is understanding what it means for you. Self-love entails different things for different people. At its core, though, self-love is about learning to value yourself and acknowledging your greatest qualities, all while being at peace with the not-so-great aspects of yourself. It’s about accepting that perfection is a lie and realizing that you do not have to spend your life in pursuit of it.
Here are 6 ways to fall in love with yourself:
1. Make peace with your insecurities
We all have insecurities. When you acknowledge this fact, you’ll start forgiving yourself for your own imperfections. Feeling insecure about ourselves is part of being human. You just have to work on removing the judgment you have towards yourself. This will allow you to acknowledge your insecurity and move on while loving every part of you. Dwelling and obsessing over our insecurities only makes them bigger than they have to be.
2. Accept perfection does not exist and accept yourself
Next, you need to accept your “flaws”. The world today is so obsessed with perfection that it is easy to feel like everyone around you has a perfect life, except you.
Well, the truth is, there’s no such thing as a perfect body or a perfect job or a perfect life. What you see on social media is only what those people want you to see, and they work hard choosing from tens of pictures and airbrushing everything to get rid of any perceived “flaws.” The celebrities you envy have teams of trainers, chefs, makeup artists, and more, all working on their image.
There is no point in trying to compete with false perfection. In fact, it is all subjective: your idea of the perfect man or the perfect woman is completely different from my version of the same thing. Once you understand that there is no such thing as perfection, you will be able to accept your “flaws” and perhaps even love them because they make you who you are.
3. Work on growing in ways that support the things that are important to you
Now that you know what’s really important to you, it is time to work on it. Explore it and grow in it. Spend some time with yourself, enroll in a course, or connect with your community. Discover parts of yourself and your personality that you never knew existed. This will make you fall even deeper in love with yourself.
A person with a passion has soul. They desire to be the best version of themselves and they grow every day in the ways that matter to them.
4. Meditate
One of the habits you should pick up on your self-love journey is meditation. It will help you declutter your mind and be one with your true self once more.
Start slow by setting aside 5 to 10 minutes every day for the purpose of meditation. Do some silent breath work and just experience the entire process, being aware of who you are and your presence in the world.
5. Practice gratitude
Gratitude can completely transform your life. The best thing about it is that it is so simple and straightforward to accomplish.
Every day before bed, list three things that you did well that day, and three things that you would like to do differently tomorrow. Then think about how you are slowly becoming a better version of yourself, working every day on your personal development. Be grateful for that. Don’t you love this person you are becoming?
6. Body care
Finally, take good care of your body. You are a vessel that needs to be loved and cared for. So be choosy about your food and only eat nutritious, healthy food. Get some sunshine and hydrate liberally. Breathe in lots of fresh air and take your supplements. Rest, work out, moisturize, and take long baths. Love your body and it will love you back!
Final Thoughts
Making peace with your insecurities and accepting your flaws will allow you to grow in ways that support what’s important to you. When combined with meditation, gratitude, and body care, you will be well on your way to falling in love with yourself.
When you have self-love, you understand that you are not perfect and that’s OK. You get to learn what you value most about yourself, and you allow yourself to grow in every aspect of your life to align yourself to the values you hold most dear.