Now that you understand that negativity can hold you back from loving yourself fully, it?s time to focus on what self-love really means. While there is no universally accepted definition, todayyou may become clearer on what it encompasses and how to cultivate habits that will ultimately lead to helping you embrace self-love in your daily life.
About Self-Love
A lot of misconceptions exist about self-love that might make it difficult to accept that the concept is one that?s actually good for you. When people hear the term ?self-love,? they often think that it means being overly fixated on yourself or narcissistic.
What self-love means is simply having a positive regard for yourself. It involves caring about your health, happiness, and wellbeing. It also requires you to avoid sacrificing yourself for others or settling for less than you deserve. These are all perfectly acceptable, even desirable, actions.
Habits of Self-Love
Here are some habits you can adopt that might help you to better practice self-love.
Stop being so concerned with others. That doesn?t mean you shouldn?t care for other people. However, it does mean it?s best to stop worrying
about what others think or comparing yourself to others.
Remember it?s okay to make mistakes. Everyone does. Mistakes allow you to grow.
Trust your own decisions. Second guessing invalidates your feelings or worth.
Being kind to yourself is one of the most important habits associated with self-love. Remember to treat yourself as kindly as you would treat
someone you care about.
Ways to Cultivate Self-Love
There are some specific steps you can take to cultivate self-love.
It?s important to pay attention to the messages you tell yourself. When you catch yourself saying something negative, take a moment to reframe
that message. For example, instead of saying, ?I?ll never get the promotion,? consider changing it to a more positive statement such as, ?I have
the qualifications for this job, and I won?t know if I can get it unless I try.?
Engage in self-care. Eat well, take time to rest, and enjoy leisure activities. When you feel recharged, you?re better able to manage life.
