There is a multi-billion dollar industry that sells you different ways to practice self-love.
If you step into any gift shop right this moment, you will find at least twenty different things signifying self-love right at your fingertips – from self-affirmation cards to scented candles, self-compassion quotes, and whatnot. Open your social media feeds, and you will find five different influencers trying to teach you the right ways to practice self-love.
The thing is, self-love sells.
However, the question is, even if you buy it, are you actually incorporating it into your real life?
We spend so much time trying to have the perfect body, job, relationships, etc. We invest so much in building a comfortable life for ourselves.
Just like that, it is important to put some work on your inside – like developing a deep sense of love and acceptance for yourself. Now even though the concept might sound cheesy, self-love is actually really important. According to research by Roy F. Baumeister and team, people with higher self-esteem and acceptance of themselves were much more likely to be happier and more confident in their life.
Mental health professionals from across the world endorse the idea that a kinder and more accepting perspective toward yourself can go a long way in improving your mental well-being.
So, self-love is important.
But for starters, how do you learn to develop it?
Well, we have got you covered, pal. In this post, we are going to dive deeper into three easy, least intimidating ways to practice self-love. Let’s get started.
3 Easy & Effective Ways To Practice Self-Love For Beginners
1. Learn to empathize with yourself.
We have a constant inner critic in-built into ourselves, and making this inner critic happy is a tough job. It constantly speaks to us in harsh words and demoralizes us every step of the way. Therefore, one of the easiest ways to practice self-love is to start looking at yourself like a friend or loved one.
Think of how you are kinder to a loved one or how you constantly root for them in every way. In the same way, start to be a little more empathetic for yourself. Give yourself a little boost of encouragement. When you have to make a decision about how to behave with yourself, think of how you would handle a dear friend at this moment, and the answer will be right in front of you.
Read more: 5 Benefits Of Building A Healthy Relationship With Yourself
2. Let go of your in-built desire to be perfect.
Most of us assume that we are only allowed to be happy when we reach a stage of absolute perfection. But when they say that perfection is a myth, it is truly right. This is because the energy you spend overreaching these ideals of perfection and the stress it adds to your life is actually counterproductive to your growth as a person in all aspects.
Therefore, one of the easiest ways to practice self-love is to accept that you deserve love even if you are not perfect. In fact, being imperfect is perfectly fine.
3. Learn to say ‘no.’
Most of us are trying to over-compensate for our imperfections. In that process, we regularly put ourselves in positions we don’t want to be in. We constantly push our boundaries and ruin our mental and physical well-being over things that we could have easily said no to in the first place.
Therefore, one of the initial ways to develop and practice self-love is to set healthy boundaries in life. Learn to understand that a dishonest ‘yes’ is an honest ‘no’ to your own self. Helping others is an important virtue, but it should come at your expense.
Read more: 7 Unbelievable Benefits Of Self-Care
Conclusion:
The relationship you have with yourself is the most important and real relationship of your life. Therefore, investing in this relationship is integral. Developing a sense of love and acceptance for yourself is essential to personal growth and development. We hope these three easy ways to practice self-love for beginners will help you get started on your journey of self-love.
Emotional acceptance is one of the most significant parts of learning to love yourself. To learn more about how to develop emotional acceptance, click here.
To continue learning about self-love and mental health, subscribe to Your Mental Health Pal.