We all know that it’s important to love ourselves, and if you don’t, well, it is and you should. But how many of us truly understand what it means to love ourselves and why we should?

What does it mean to Love ourselves? 

Let’s start with what self-love is and what it means to love ourselves. 

According to an article in Brain and Behavior, “Self-love is a state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological, and spiritual growth.” (Borenstein, 2020) 

Self-love includes many things like accepting ourselves, self-care, how we talk to ourselves, how we think about ourselves, and how we take care of our wants and needs.

If you think about it, our success starts with ourselves, and it’s understandable why self-love and self-care would be a vital part not only in a personal growth journey but in our day-to-day life and interactions.

So let’s take a look at 10 reasons why self-love is so important. Starting with:

1. Self-love can help you improve your relationships.

People who practice self-love tend to have better confidence and a sense of understanding of themselves. 

They set clear boundaries in relationships and tend to communicate better. 

They also tend to build relationships on mutual trust and respect and be less dependent on others for validating their self-worth. 

People who practice self-love tend to develop healthier relationships and attract people with similar values.

2. Self-love teaches acceptance

Self-acceptance is a very important part of practicing self-love. 

People learn to accept and love themselves fully, accepting all their flaws and shortcomings. 

They start practicing positive self-talk and are more likely to be kind and forgiving toward themselves. This acceptance also allows people to be more forgiving and more accepting of others.

3. Self-love helps prevent burnout

It’s easy to get carried away with all our daily responsibilities and fast-paced lives, so much so that if you’re not careful you’re risking burnout and exhaustion. 

However, people who practice self-love also practice self-care on a regular basis and prioritize their well-being, both physically and mentally. 

Such daily practices help prevent burnout.

4. Self-love leads to success

Self-love breeds a better understanding of yourself and builds self-esteem and self-acceptance. With that, we are able to make better decisions, set clear goals and boundaries, and have a generally more positive outlook on life. 

All of these things breed success in both personal and professional life. It also builds resilience which helps to deal with any obstacles one encounters along the way and helps overcome it rather than getting stuck in the cycle of self-doubt and criticism.

5. Self-love improves your emotional resilience

Practicing self-love means practicing positive self-talk and being more forgiving toward yourself. 

Such a mindset promotes a generally positive outlook on life. 

When things go wrong, it’s easy to get discouraged and get critical of ourselves and engage in negative self-talk. 

But with a more positive mindset, it’s easier to be more forgiving towards ourselves and bounce back faster wherever we encounter a setback in both our personal and professional lives.

6. Self-love keeps us present

By practicing self-care, it allows us to slow down and take the time to focus on ourselves and our needs, concentrating on the present moment instead of always thinking of the future or being stuck in the past. 

It’s important to appreciate what we have and enjoy our life to the fullest in the here and now.

7. Self-love can help reduce stress

Practicing self-love means taking the time to practice self-care and self-awareness. 

This will help you better understand how and what you feel and help manage stress better. Also, by taking better care of yourself on a daily basis, you reduce stress both mentally and emotionally. It is important to give yourself a break when you need it and to understand that you deserve it. Self-care should be your priority, it’s something you need and something you definitely deserve!

8. Self-love can help you develop healthier habits

Self-love breeds not only a more positive outlook but also a more positive view of ourselves. When we truly love and accept ourselves, we tend to make better choices when it comes to our well-being and health on a daily basis. This, in turn, develops healthier habits that benefit both physical health and mental well-being.

9. Self-love provides a space for introspection and self-reflection.

Today, we live in a fast-paced and demanding world, and taking time out of our busy schedule to tend to our own needs can provide an opportunity for introspection and self-reflection. Simple but important practices, such as mindfulness, daily yoga or meditation, can greatly improve our daily lives. Developing self-care habits provides an opportunity to self-reflect on our thoughts and feelings, helping us to better understand ourselves and increase our self-awareness.

10. Self-love cultivates a mindset of gratitude.

Self-love cultivates a more positive outlook on life, which in turn leads to a gratitude mindset. Positivity encourages us to focus on all that is good in our lives and all that we are grateful for, rather than dwelling on the negative and what went wrong throughout the day. This positivity and gratitude mindset can be very helpful in building fulfilling relationships and leading a more enjoyable and happy life.

As you can see, practicing self-love leads to a positive, more fulfilling life, healthy and meaningful relationships, confidence, and acceptance of self, more success in both personal and professional life. 

And it all starts with us. Self-love is not only important, but a vital part of our personal growth and development journey, not to mention our quality of life. It all starts with you. 

There is nothing selfish about taking care of yourself, especially since that care and positivity will spill over into other areas of your life, including your interactions and relationships with others. 

As the saying goes, loving others starts with loving ourselves.

References:

Solis-Moreira, J. (Aug 12, 2022). How to Practice Self-Love. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/how-to-practice-self-love/

Nyx, J. (November 3, 2022). 34 Ways to Practice Self-Love and Be Good to Yourself. Lifehack. Retrieved from https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/30-ways-practice-self-love-and-good-yourself.html

Borenstein, J. (February 12, 2020). Self-Love and What It Means. BBR Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.bbrfoundation.org/blog/self-love-and-what-it-means