Self-Love

 Self-Love 

There has been a lot of focus on self-love over the past decade. You’ve probably seen plenty of images with self-love prompts and quotes as you scroll social media.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably wondered why all the hype about self-love. You may also wonder things like

• What exactly does it mean to love your “self”?
• If you don’t love yourself, does that mean you don’t really love others?
• How can I love myself more?

Most of us want to feel loved and accepted by other people, as the need for approval is quite strong. We learn this beginning at a young age. This is why so many people succumb to peer pressure or do things they might not be comfortable with.

They simply want to feel loved and included.

What about love for yourself? Of course, you want others to love you, but do you love yourself? Do you think you’re an amazing person worthy of your own adoration? Sadly, many people don’t really like themselves that much.

They struggle with low self-esteem and low self-worth for one reason or another, and this can affect every area of their lives.

What Is Self-Worth?

Self-worth is essentially how worthy one thinks they are.

It can be low, high, or anywhere in between. If you have low self-worth, you probably don’t think you’re really worthy of your own love or anyone else’s. Or you think you only qualify for a little bit, or only when you’re on your best behaviour.

Those with low self-worth tend to struggle with receiving compliments and taking good care of themselves, and their thought life may be filled with negative thoughts.

Those with high self-worth can more easily accept compliments, practice adequate self-care, and enjoy more positivity. When they think of themselves, it’s mostly positive.

Do you or someone you know struggle with low self-worth?

If so, here’s a firm reminder that you and others are worthy just because you are human beings. You’re worthy of love and, especially, your own love. 

Take some time and really think about this.

• Do you really love yourself?
• What is it that you love? 
• What do you dislike?

Make a list of things you love about yourself. If you have a difficult time creating that list, it’s time to begin to learn how to love yourself. Ask others what they love about you, too. You may not even realise just how lovable you truly are, but others do.

Growing Self-Love Is A Journey

If you want to boost the love that you have for yourself, it’s time to begin a new journey. If you acknowledge that you struggle with low self-worth, it’s time to learn how to increase it and run into your own arms for a great big hug. 

Granted, this might not happen overnight, but it can happen. In fact, many men and women have travelled the road to loving themselves successfully. I’m one of them. There are certain lessons that we learn throughout life that propel us toward that destination if we allow them. 

Here’s a little exercise you can do today to help.

• Look in the mirror and look deep into your eyes.
• Just gaze at yourself for a few moments.
• Put your hand on your heart, and gently declare, I love you. 

Be gentle with yourself and declare this affirmation over and over while really trying to feel that love.

We also post new daily affirmations on our site!

Heal Any Inner Wounds 

As an adult, it’s quite easy to have inner wounds from the past that need healing. Things happen in life that can cause pain and suffering. If those wounds are not healed, the pain can interfere with the ability to love yourself. 

Take some time to contemplate if you’re carrying around inner wounds. Have you experienced trauma? Suffering? Grief? If you have, take some time to do some healing work around the experiences.

You can do a self-directed inner healing journey, such as through shadow work, or you can reach out to a qualified therapist.

Everyone could benefit from taking a season to really get in there and heal what may need to be healed, as well as get to know yourself a little better. If you’re carrying unforgiveness toward yourself or another, consider forgiving and releasing them and/or you from negative emotions surrounding this.

As you release, you should feel relief and a new love for yourself. You’re worthy, and you shouldn’t have to carry around a ton of pain or negative feelings, so go ahead and let them go.

Recite Affirmations

Positive affirmations are positive statements about yourself or other things. If you want to love yourself more, make a list of positive affirmations about yourself and declare them out loud every day. Even if you don’t think much of yourself, write down how you want to feel about yourself and declare it. 

As you continue to do this daily, you’ll be building your self-esteem and self-worth. Sometimes it’s just your thought life that keeps you down, and positive affirmations can retrain your brain to go from negative to positive over time. 

When I first started on my inner healing journey, I had a hard time declaring positive things about myself. 

After all, I’d struggled with low self-esteem much of my life. However, I just kept repeating positive affirmations, as well as listening to them on YouTube. 

Over the years, my esteem has increased significantly, and that has improved my self-love. So, even if reciting affirmations feels silly or you think it won’t work, try it out anyway. 

Do some experimenting, as you may find that repetition helps you remember who you truly are—a beautiful soul!

8 Daily Affirmations to Practice Self-Love

Here are some affirmations you can recite daily to help you learn to love yourself more.

I am a beautiful creation.

I am worthy of love.

I love myself.

I am lovable.

I am a good person.

I am learning to love myself more.

I have a lot to offer.

Life is getting better all the time.

Here is your permission to begin to have a wonderful, loving relationship with yourself. No matter what your past has been or what you’re currently going through, YOU ARE WORTHY OF LOVE.

Get to know who you are by spending some time alone regularly. Engage in some activities that you like. Take care of yourself. Every person is worthy, and this includes you. Go ahead and declare that right now!