What does it mean to love yourself? For many people the thought of self-love comes from a variety of cases. When you treat yourself to a bubble bath after a long day, when your face isnât feeling its best so you put on a facemask, or when you leave a toxic relationship behindâthese are instances in which you are âloving yourself.â
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But if youâve ever felt discouraged, if youâve ever had the feeling of not being good enough, you know that loving yourself is more complex than that. Itâs hard to love yourself when you have no idea where to begin and canât seem to find a spot to love.
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With Valentineâs Day coming up, it is easy to submerge into nostalgia and start to feel like youâre lacking love, especially if you donât have a significant other. This is usually why people start to message their ex or look for something to keep their mind busy during that day, perhaps even week. Itâs important that instead of looking for a way out, you find the way in.
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Learn to be okay being yourself, by yourself. Being single isnât a bad thing; itâs usually when we reach the most self-discovery. As this clichĂ© day approaches, start to reflect on your life and who you are as an individual. Invest in what makes you happy. Seek what brings you joy. Accept your flaws and build up your virtues.
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These are all a lot easier said than done, but if you make it a point to make loving yourself a habit, eventually, you will get there. Do pamper yourself as often as you can, your body will be eternally grateful as your nurture it. Give yourself more time to sleep during the night; you will notice the difference it makes to your ability to function. Enjoy a nice day out on the beach and relax once in a while. The more you do for your body, the better your mindset and attitude will be.
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Find what you love and do well at it. If your hobby is to do your makeup, or writing short stories, or designing and building, do it. No one can stop you from accomplishing what you want. Self-love comes from understanding yourself and being okay with all of the qualities that you were given.
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Itâs easy to give up, but if youâre ever feeling alone, remember that everyone is going or has gone through the same battle. Loving yourself is an every-day decision to choose to see the good and let it outweigh any bad that there may be.
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Desi