Self-Love Reflection

What Is Self Love? 

In order to practise self love, we must first learn what it means. 

Self love is an appreciation of oneself. It’s not something we are born with or inherently have but something which is considered a constant ‘work in progress.’ It grows and develops from actions and habits that support our own psychological and physical well-being. 

A good example of self love is setting healthy boundaries to protect your own happiness like saying no to a work project when you know it could overwhelm you. Another example might be forgiving yourself when you make a mistake or don’t perform as well as you wanted.

Other ways you might practise or develop self- love are: 

• Not comparing yourself with others 
• Asking for support or guidance 
• Accepting yourself and your flaws 
• Saying kind things to yourself daily 

In many ways, self love means going back to the practical basics of what makes our body and therefore our mind happy. This includes:

• Eating healthily
• Getting plenty of rest
• Taking breaks 
• Stretching, yoga and breathing exercises 
• Switching off social media when necessary 

These behaviours and habits help one build an authentic appreciation of ‘the self’ and encourage them to improve their self esteem, creating and building resilience as a result. 

Self love vs Selfish

It’s important to distinguish practising self love from being selfish. 

Many people conflate the two and sometimes automatically assume that somebody who loves and cares for themselves is self absorbed, self involved or selfish.

In truth, self love implies considering yourself as worthy and valuable as you do other people.

Self-love includes prioritising yourself and puts emphasis on taking care of your body and mind- this can be misconstrued as selfish but only usually by those who might rely on your selflessness or by those who don’t understand the concept themselves. 

Three things to remember 

• Taking care of your mind is just as important as taking care of your body 
• Practising self love does not make you selfish 
• Self love is an ongoing process

Credit: Charly Brown