How To Love Yourself

We all tend to struggle with this one a bit. It can be because we put too much faith in what others think of us, it can be because of something we feel guilty about or it can be because we are too hard on ourselves.

Whatever reason you have for struggling, I am going to try and help you get over that.

According to a lot of people, the best ways to love yourself are:

1. Forgive yourself for past mistakes.

I personally am guilty of this one, I often berate myself for things that are in the past and that I couldn't change either way. The key to this one is to realize that, even though you may regret parts of your past, they are still part of you and they are what has shaped you into the person you are today. I'm almost 80% sure that the person I am today is a huge step up from who I used to be, so that's something.

2. Have fun on your own.

I don't know about everyone else, but when I'm on my own I love to put on the stereo and sing along to my favorite songs, loudly. I'm sure this can be annoying for our neighbors but I don't really care. Everyone needs to unwind and dance like a mad person in their kitchen sometimes.

3. Don't bend over backwards for people who won't do the same for you.

I know a lot of people who are like this and it kind of makes me angry. It makes me angry because I can usually see how hard the one is trying and how the other is not trying at all. The key to this is to try and think back on past occurrences and ask yourself if they would do the same for you. Of course it's a completely different story if they are unable to do the same and you are just being a good Samaritan!

4. Learn to say "No".

When someone keeps expecting you to do things for them when you aren't in a place to do so (Mentally or emotionally) learn to say no to them instead of running yourself dry. Water cannot be poured from an empty jug.

5. Set Goals

The experts say that the best way to look forward to the future and to have a sense of accomplishment is to have goals.

It doesn't matter if your goal is to do five more sit-ups or if it's to learn a new language. It can be short term or long term but the point is to have realistic goals and to do your best to achieve them. Forward is forward, your pace doesn't matter.

Regardless of whether you find loving yourself easy or difficult, everyone needs a bit of a reminder now and then. We can also help others remember, so tell your friends and family that they are beautiful (or handsome) and remind them how special they are in general.

The world would be a better place if we all smiled a little brighter and laughed a little harder.

Thanks for reading xx