Is a lack of self-love getting in your way? Are you finding it extremely difficult to fully accept and love who you are? So many people struggle to see their worth. We are all meant to play the lead roles in our own lives, yet so many of us feel like we have been cast as extras instead and that we don’t deserve to be the star of the story. We don’t feel good enough and dedicate our thoughts to self-hatred instead of love and self-acceptance.
If this is something you struggle with, here are a few tips that can help you learn to love and accept yourself:
Start with Self-Acceptance if You are After Self-Love
Choose to accept yourself and it will help you get to a point of love. Self-acceptance doesn’t mean never trying to improve yourself, but it means that you accept the beautiful foundation you are working with.
You have to realise your own worth. Love every bit about yourself and the road you are travelling on. Your main focus should be becoming the best version of yourself and not trying to be like somebody else, but you must first accept and appreciate where you are.
Practice Self-Care for Self-Love
Before you do anything else, practice self-care. Your self-care practice is entirely your own. This means doing things that make you feel good and help you relax.
- Take care of your hygiene and put a little effort into your appearance
- Spend time with loved ones
- Treat yourself to a bath and a book
- Move your body and do some exercise
- Have fun and eat healthy food you love.
- Clean and decorate your room, so you can live in a beautiful and organised space
There are many ways to practice self-care, as long as whatever you do is not at the cost of your own health
Be Kind to Yourself
Try to think positively about yourself. Talk to yourself compassionately and avoid self-judgement. You are the one who has to live with yourself. You only have a limited amount of time on this earth, so why waste it feeling bad about yourself all the time?
I’m not saying you can never feel bad about yourself – if you kick a dog, yell at a stranger, or keep self-sabotaging, you should feel bad – but it shouldn’t be the norm.
You are allowed to work on yourself and feel good about who you are now at the same time. You are amazing even if you still want to grow.
In order to become your best self, you must first get in touch with who you really are. It is only the knowledge of your true self that will set you free from insecurities and false perceptions of your own identity. To find your true self, you must fully accept yourself, let go of unproductive self-judgement, and realise your own value.
Don’t Aim for Perfection, Aim to Become Your Best Self
Remember that striving for a goal is great, but striving for perfection is unhealthy and unrealistic. Strive for progress and to feel good. We create expectations of perfectionism and then judge ourselves if we can’t reach them. Perfection isn’t possible, but transformation is. I repeat, perfection isn’t possible, but transformation is.
Identify and appreciate everything you’ve done thus far. Be proud of every step you take in the right direction.
Focus on your own progress and becoming the best version of you. There is nothing wrong with being inspired by others and learning from them, but looking at someone and thinking “why don’t I look like that” or “why am I not as strong” only leads to insecurity and self-judgement. Focus on your own path and becoming the best version of yourself instead of just becoming a copy of someone else.
The journey towards complete self-acceptance and self-love can take long, but living in a world where you feel free to just be yourself and embrace who you are without judgement is something worth fighting for every day.
