LOVE YOURSELF BY ATILADE FAITH.

SELF LOVE.

Self-love is crucial to healthy relationships, it is a game-changing mindset that allows people to prioritise their happiness and fulfilment. It is the practice of nurturing your own emotional, mental, and physical needs without seeking validation from external sources. This profound affection for oneself serves as the foundation for healthy relationships with others.

Self-love includes self-acceptance which is acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses while restraining yourself from harsh self-criticism, nobody is perfect. It also includes self-compassion which is treating yourself with kindness during challenging times, it helps to build resilience and emotional wellbeing. It also helps to form healthy boundaries by saying ‘no, yes’ when needed.

Self-love also reduces dependency on others, you are less likely to rely on others for validation or happiness. It also reduces codependency in relationships. Self-love increases your empathy towards others as you understand that no one is perfect you extend that understanding to others.  

Here are some ways to practise self-love;

Practising self-care like meditation, exercising, journaling and so on.

Set boundaries and practise saying ‘no’ to things that don’t align with you and your person.

Cultivate the habit of positive self-talk, always saying positive things.

Surround yourself with supportive people who respect your boundaries and align with you.

Celebrate your accomplishments even the little wins and be gentle with yourself when you make mistakes. Again, nobody is perfect.

Self-love improves your relationship with others, you respect differences, you become better at handling conflicts with yourself and others, and become emotionally available.

Self-love is the foundation for thriving relationships, both with yourself and with others. It is a key to unlocking healthy relationships, it is also the backbone of your emotional well-being and it helps you to prioritise needs and make decisions that align with your values. When you love yourself, you can love others. So make self-love a priority.