"Self love" has become a bit of a buzz word in recent times, but what does it actually mean? Well first off, lets talk about what it's not! It is NOT selfish to have self love, it is Not something we should feel shame or guilt for and it is NOT something that we need other people to tell us how to do. What it is, is bloody hard. Let's be honest in today's busy life, with everything we have to do finding time to put ourselves and our needs first is a challenge to say the least, but is it? Think about it for a minute, if your partner, child, family, friend, boss or even the woman down the road you hardly know asks for your help, chances are you'll find the time right??? So why do we struggle so much with the concept of spending time for ourselves
So is it important? YES,YES,YES! Lets be real here for a minute, if we don't love ourselves, how can we expect to give or receive love? The way we treat ourselves sets the bar for others. Self love is achieved when we forgive, accept, respect and celebrate who we are - all of us even the bits that we don't like! When you love yourself, you take care of yourself, you honour your limitations, you listen to your needs and you respect your dreams enough to act on them this is self love. So the next time you start feeling guilty for dedicating time to yourself or caring for your own needs, remind yourself that by practising self-love you are actually strengthening your ability to love others.
Studies have shown that learning to love ourselves can have real tangible benefits for our health and well being. Some of these findings were:
-Self-acceptance helps us to live a happier, more contented life.
- Self-compassion helps us to make better health decisions
- Being kind to yourself results in less anxiety and depression
- Self-compassion reduces the stress that leads to procrastination
-Self-care can help you reach your goals
-Self-love can support you through difficult times.
Self care is an important part of self love. Self-love, is about cultivating gratitude and acceptance toward yourself, physically and emotionally. Self care is basically the act of taking care of yourself physically and mentally. It’s a way to make sure you’re getting the time you need to feel at peace They’re both necessary to a healthy, fulfilled lifestyle! All areas of your life will improve once you take time to nurture your needs. Self-care is an integral part of self love and the practice of being kind and compassionate towards yourself.
So there we have it, our relationship with ourselves is probably the most important one we have. Take a moment and think about how you treat yourself on a daily basis, as if you were another person in a relationship with you and ask yourself is this relationship one that I want to have? Start today making the change, speak kindly to yourself, don't place unrealistic expectations on you, love your body, mind and soul and give yourself the time you deserve. Over the coming weeks and months, I will be posting lots more ideas, thoughts and suggestions for how you can show yourself a little more love.
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha
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