Human beings are driven by one another. There’s no better feeling than being told you mean a lot to your significant other, or being told that you’re amazing by a family member. Friends, co-workers, loved ones, and even strangers wield a power to show you that you matter and that you’re amazing.
The thing is, we don’t always have access to outward love. There are times when we’re not being told exactly what we crave. There’s equally challenging times when we don’t have the physical warmth of another person to carry us through life’s roughest moments. When love feels like it’s not there, it can lead to some really upsetting thoughts.
But there’s one person who will always be there no matter the circumstances: YOU! The love that you show to yourself is infinite and important, so why not tell yourself how much you matter every single day!
You’re the best person to take care of yourself. And even though self-love might feel weird, hard, and uncomfortable, there are so many reasons to do it.
Why Is Feeling Loved Important?
As humans, we thrive off of the relationships we have with others. Even if you’re somewhat of an introvert, there are still people in your life that make you excited to see. This is because the feeling of belongingness is a psychological need.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory that includes a five-tier model of human needs, usually depicted as a layered pyramid. Needs from the bottom upwards include physiological needs (food, water), safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization.
Needs lower on the pyramid must be satisfied before moving up. Self-actualization is the ability for one to achieve their fullest potential. And there’s no way to make it there without having first been able to feel loved.
Conversely, it’s just as important to be the one giving out the love! Showing others that you care about them is a way to send around the positive feelings that being loved can create. It feels great to love, and that’s why we do it all the time.
By loving yourself, you get to give love and receive it! It sounds tough, but here are a few reminders that caring about yourself is entirely worth it.
What are the Reasons to Love Yourself?
Before we get into a couple of different ways that you can practice self-love, let’s look at some of the most important reasons that self-love is essential.
Loving Yourself Lets You Love Others More Deeply
Looking in the mirror and addressing everything you don’t like can take up a lot of time. It’s easy to beat yourself up over a missed deadline at work or a few new pimples on your forehead. But all of these things are miniscule, intrusive thoughts that will preoccupy your time and energy that can be spent with others.
Accepting yourself as who you are and loving that version gives you more freedom to take your life and put it elsewhere. Friends, family, pets, and partners are all worth loving, so it’s important that you’re not diminishing your charisma based on qualms with yourself.
Self-Love Can Make You Less Concerned About What Others Think
Because of how much we love and care about the people around us, we can become inundated with the fear of being judged. The pressure of other people’s opinions is very real, which can make it difficult to be who we truly want to be.
But when you lift these restraints and realize that the person you’ve become is perfect in every way, other people’s negative thoughts completely fade away. The only person in life that is 100% constant is you, so why waste time trying to please others?
You have been enough, are still enough, and will always be enough, no matter what anybody says or thinks. With this in mind, your confidence will exude outward and positively affect the people around you.
You Can Come to Terms With Past Mistakes
Do you ever find yourself thinking about mistakes you’ve made weeks, months, or even years ago? One of the most common anxious behaviors is rumination, or constantly dwelling on the past. It’s completely normal, but it often comes from a place of self-deprecation that can lead you to feel more anxious and depressed than normal.
These thoughts can place a lot of strain on yourself that has been shown to physically decrease your memory and well-being. But it’s important to remember that the past cannot be changed.
That might sound scary, but it is actually very comforting. There’s nothing more that can be done to change the past, so why focus on it? Instead, allow yourself forgiveness so that you can move on and work on building more positive memories going forward.
Whatever occurred in the past occurred because of certain things in that specific moment. It doesn’t reflect the person sitting here right now. Love yourself as you would a friend so that you can come to terms with the amazing person that you’ve always been.
Self-Love Facilitates Growth
When you’re stuck in a rut and can’t seem to shake negative feelings about yourself, you’re going to think about them constantly. This will occupy your time and charisma that should be devoted to something that will help foster your success.
Loving yourself gives you more time in the day to focus on what makes you feel happy. Writing, drawing, painting, or hiking are just a few examples of activities that are going to let you grow as a person, even if just a little bit.
How to Practice Self-Love
Knowing why self-love is important is only half the battle, because now you have to put it into practice! The good thing is that it doesn’t take much effort, especially for someone as awesome as you!
Develop a Self-Care Routine
One of the best ways to show yourself some love is to pamper yourself physically. This includes treating yourself to relaxing activities that will let you de-stress.
Self-care routines look different for everyone, so experiment with whatever works for you. A lot of people love taking nice, warm baths with their favorite bath bombs and soaps. But you can try unwinding at the end of the day with a good book.
Or, try using some CBD Oil to give yourself an added reprieve from life’s heated moments. You can even put some drops into your bath or into a diffuser while you read your book.
As long as you’re devoting some free time to treat yourself in a way that makes you happy, you’re doing everything right!
Practice Attitude of Gratitude
Having an attitude of gratitude means that you have a positive outlook on your life. Wake up in the morning and tell yourself something really positive that will energize you for the day and give you reason to smile before getting out of bed.
When your first thought of the day is related to how amazing you are, it’s going to start you off on a high note. A few examples include reminding yourself that you’re amazing, congratulating yourself for a good day at work, or complimenting your appearance. There’s so much to love about yourself, so keep it all coming every single day.
Realize That Your Feelings Are Valid
Even with all of these reminders that you’re awesome and all of these different ways to prove that to yourself, there are still going to be times when you’re feeling down. Why? Because you’re human. You’ll make mistakes and you’ll experience some trauma. But you have to remember that this is normal and you’re allowed to let yourself feel.
You don’t owe happiness to anyone, and you can’t beat yourself up if you feel out of sorts. Allow yourself to naturally expel these feelings in a healthy way like yoga or meditation. However, continue to remind yourself that even during the toughest of times, you are still enough.
Coming to terms with your emotions and realizing that you’re only human can lift immense pressure off your shoulders, letting you feel truly free.
In Conclusion
There is no one worth loving more than yourself. Self-love is proven to have tons of health benefits both physically and mentally. But on top of that, it just feels good!
Loving yourself can let you come to terms with past mistakes and let you love the people around you even more completely. It can free you from the shackles of other people’s opinions and help move you towards your full potential.
Self-care routines and having a positive attitude are some of the best ways to love yourself, but it’s important to remember that it’s okay to feel upset every now and then. You are only human, but you’re an amazing one, so never let yourself forget it.
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Sources:
https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html#gsc.tab=0
