Are you ready to embark on a journey of self-love? Maybe you’ve been wondering what the journey of self-love entails and where you should start. That being said, we are happy you’re here!
Self-love is the foundation of a happy and fulfilling life. It’s with self-love that we can show up as our “tru” selves, live the life of our dreams, and find inner peace. On the journey of self-love, you might find that it’s tough but you’ll definitely find it rewarding.
In this post, we cover the importance of self-love, common barriers to self-love, and tips for your self-love journey. Keep reading for more!
The Importance of Self-love
We can talk about self-love all day but why is it so important?
- Improved mental health: Loving and accepting oneself can improve mental health and well-being. It can reduce feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress, and increase feelings of happiness, self-esteem, and confidence.
- Better relationships: When individuals love and accept themselves, they are more likely to attract and maintain healthy and fulfilling relationships with others. They are also better equipped to handle conflicts and disagreements in a healthy and constructive way.
- Increased resilience: Self-love can increase resilience and help individuals bounce back from life’s challenges. When individuals have a strong sense of self-worth, they are less likely to be affected by negative comments and criticism from others.
- Improved self-care: Loving oneself can lead to improved self-care, as individuals are more likely to prioritize their physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
- Better decision-making: When individuals love themselves, they are more likely to make decisions that align with their values, goals, and aspirations, rather than making decisions based on external validation or the expectations of others.
All in all, the practice of self-love can help us improve the quality of our everyday life.
Now that we’ve covered the importance of self-love, let’s talk about some barriers people encounter when on the journey of self-love. Sometimes people may have a hard time getting over some of these barriers but with enough time and regular practice, we can all move past these barriers.
Remember that your own journey may be different than someone else’s self-love journey. Some of these may apply to you and some may not.
Things That Can Make it Difficult for Individuals to Love Themselves on The Journey of Self-Love
Negative Self-talk and Self-criticism
When individuals engage in negative self-talk and self-criticism, it can be challenging to feel good about themselves and to love themselves. This type of behavior makes it hard to have a healthy relationship with oneself. Also, negative thoughts and negative self-talk can be incredibly harmful to our mental health.
A key tool in stopping self-talk and self-criticism is gratitude and reframing our thoughts. When you seek out positive things in your life to be grateful for, you’re less inclined to engage in negative self-talk. Additionally, reframing your thoughts can help. Instead of thinking through a narrative that is harmful, create a different story. You are the creator of your own life and being able to reframe your thoughts is a huge step in the journey of true self-love.
Past Experiences
Traumatic experiences can lead to low self-esteem and make it difficult to love oneself.
If you would like to heal from trauma in the past, seek out counseling and work on letting things go. When you cannot stop thinking about old stories in your life or you are very hurt by the past, it makes building a self-love practice very difficult. You are worthy of love and if you are caught up living in the past, we would love for you to find help or find ways to move on.
Social and Cultural Influences
Society and culture can play a significant role in shaping our self-image and self-worth. For example, exposure to unrealistic beauty standards can make individuals feel like they don’t measure up and make self-love more challenging. Also, sometimes people’s opinions online can be triggering.
If you do not feel good about yourself after scrolling through social media, you may want to try out a social media detox. If you are struggling with social media, learn how to set boundaries around your screen time.
Comparison to Others
Comparing oneself to others, whether it’s in terms of looks, success, or other qualities, can lead to feelings of inadequacy and make self-love more challenging. This also may be from spending too much time online or focusing too much on the external world.
One of the best ways to combat comparison is through gratitude and self-acceptance. When you spend too much time comparing yourself to others, you can miss out on enjoying life. A positive mindset focused on loving the authentic self will allow you to avoid the comparison game. Remember that life is not about material possessions but about living a life that makes you happy and allows you to be your authentic self.
Remember, self-love is a process, and it takes time and effort to build a positive relationship with oneself. It’s important to be kind and patient with yourself and to seek support when needed.
Now that we’ve covered the pros of self-love and the common barriers, let’s talk about tips to help you consistently practice self-love.
Here are 5 tips to help you consistently practice self-love and stay on track!
Self Reflection
Self-reflection is about taking the time to really connect with yourself and check in with how youโre feeling at any given moment. Acknowledge and validate your feelings without judgment or criticism, and allow yourself the space to process them. Taking the time to do regular check-ins with yourself is key – it helps you identify what thoughts or behaviors need to be addressed so that you can practice self-love more consistently.
There are so many different ways to do this. One is by using journal prompts daily and another is by using a mood tracker throughout the day. Self-reflection can help you become more self-aware and allow you to be more mindful.
Talk to yourself the same way you would talk to a best friend
One of the key steps to practicing self-love is talking to yourself with kindness and compassion – the same way you would talk to a best friend. When you make a mistake, instead of berating yourself, be understanding and compassionate in your words. Remind yourself that everyone has flaws and mistakes are just part of life and should be embraced as an opportunity for learning. Put things into perspective by reminding yourself that although this might feel awful right now, it wonโt last forever.
When the inner critic inside starts talking, stop and reframe your thoughts.
Surround yourself with positive people who bring out the best in you
Surrounding yourself with people who love and accept you can be an incredibly powerful tool in your journey of self-love. Spend time with people who make you feel supported, accepted, and valued – not just people who find fault with every little thing. Choose friends who will encourage and motivate you towards personal growth and help you become the best version of yourself. Avoid those that make it more difficult than it needs to be to reach your goals or negativity drag you down.
Your support system is incredibly important as you start to embark on the journey of self-love. If you do not feel that some of your friends are on the right path, seek out new friends that have the same interests as you.
Your closest friends will be there to hype you up and remind you why you’re worthy of everything that you put your mind to.
Do activities that make you feel good and nourish your body, mind, and soul
Make sure to fill your days with activities that make you feel good and keep your body, mind, and soul flourish. Spend time in meditation, creative pursuits, workouts – whatever brings you joy. Aim to feed your physical and emotional being each day with activities and experiences that nurture you. Set aside regular time for yourself to focus on self-growth and developing who you truly are. Below we will cover a few different things you can do to nourish your body, mind, and soul.
Ways to Nourish Your Body:
- prioritize whole and natural foods
- move your body regularly with physical activity
- prioritize rest and a healthy sleep schedule
Nourish Your Mind:
- start a gratitude journal
- seek out mindfulness and find happiness in the little things
- do something that makes you happy every single day
- leave yourself post-it notes on your bathroom mirror with positive affirmations
- set goals and seek out positive persona development experiences
Ways to nourish your soul:
- spend quality time outside in nature
- define your core beliefs and create a life that embodies these
- let go of past mistakes, everyone will make mistakes but we must forgive ourselves
- seek out different situations that allow you to explore your passions
- find joy in the simple things in life
These activities are helpful when you build a self-care practice. There are several types of self-care and there are so many great things that you can add to your routine.
Celebrate every success, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem
Self-love is about celebrating yourself for all that you are and recognizing your personal growth. Even the most seemingly insignificant of successes, like taking an extra moment to pause before saying something or completing a task, should be celebrated. Take time to recognize and appreciate these small successes in order to maintain a positive self-image. Appreciate the progress you make and reward yourself along your journey!
When you achieve something and celebrate it, this may help increase your self-esteem. The first step in building up confidence is sometimes achieving a goal. If it’s your first time setting goals, check out our ultimate guide to setting goals here.
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed this blog post on the self-love journey. If you take one thing from this post, it’s that with self-care and an attitude of gratitude, you can change your entire life.
You may begin the journey of self-love and step out of your comfort zone but remember, it’s by experiencing positive new things and getting rid of negative beliefs that you can find tru self-love.
At the end of the day, you are your own best friend. Personal development may be something that you focus on your whole life but this will allow you to be a better person. The journey is self-love can be a personal development journey in itself.
And remember – setting boundaries, quieting the inner voice, and removing toxic people from your life can be tough and a long journey but remember, it is doable! You got this! Spending a little time each day on yourself, celebrating the small things, and seeking out things in life that excite you!
What will your journey of self-love look like?