Self-love - nurturing a relationship with oneself
- DarshD
- May 8, 2024
- 2 min read
Image by Freepik
Love is important in life and loved ones are a part of our emotional support system. Not everyone is lucky to have people in their lives who truly love them. Many even don’t have spouses, children, or parents, which can often lead to isolation [1]. The absence of love and isolation can affect our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. It can lead to depression, disrupted sleep patterns, elevated blood pressure, and more [2]. This makes it important to not neglect love in life.
When there is nobody to love even then we should develop self-love habits. Self-love is a state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological, and spiritual growth [3]. There are many health benefits of self-love such as reducing depression, improving the immune system, lowering blood pressure, anxiety, etc [4]. It also gives us a feeling of security, a better ability to handle difficult emotions, and helps us to be more productive, and feel good about ourselves.
Now, how can one practice self-love?
As per Forbes, there are many activities one can do to nurture self-love [6]. Some of them are as follows,
Keep a gratitude journal
Write daily about a few things that you are grateful for. It is a daily activity that helps in the long run by reminding us about the good things that we have in our lives and gives us a positive mindset.
Practice mindfulness
It aids by helping us know how we feel in different situations and what we should embrace or avoid to reduce negativity or what we should do or think to stay present and positive.
Celebrate small wins
If we congratulate and reward ourselves for the small steps we take, it becomes the fuel that helps us continue working towards bigger goals. Giving oneself compliments for the things we do during the day also keeps us motivated as we learn to recognise our good skills and qualities.
Limit the time spent on social media
It is useful as by limiting it, we can avoid getting trapped in comparing our lives with others. It also wastes our time and reduces our productivity which in turn can cause us to feel tired and miserable, so let the time be better spent on activities like journaling and more that nurtures oneself.
By doing the above and many other things that bring one self-love, one can ensure that there is enough love in life because self-love is the love that we create for ourselves and we don't have to rely on anyone for it. If we want more ideas of self-love activities, finding support from trusted friends, family members, and qualified therapists is highly recommended, one must never shy away from seeking support.
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