As women, especially as college students, it can be hard to learn to love yourself and to not compare yourself to others. A majority of women who you will talk to will tell you that they find it difficult to love themselves and to be confident, and although comparison and judgement can be nearly impossible to fully avoid, there are some things that you can be doing to help increase your self love.
One activity that can help you in learning to love yourself more is starting to journal. By journaling you can learn more about yourself and focus on identifying and addressing the emotions that you are experiencing. When you live a busy life it can be easier to put your feelings aside and tell yourself that they are unimportant or can be dealt with later, but this mentality will prove to be more hurtful than it is helpful. Although you are putting those difficult feelings away for the moment, and that may seem easier, they are still present and affecting you. You are just pushing them aside until inevitably they will bubble over into something bigger than they originally were. Through journaling, you can see what you are feeling everyday and recognize the trends that you would not have seen otherwise. It can also be therapeutic to write out what has happened and be able to go back to look and reflect on it later.
Another way that you can learn to love yourself more is by exploring your hobbies and interests to find things that you enjoy doing. By taking some time out of your schedule to try some new things, you may find something that you never knew made you happy. Whether it be cooking, reading, knitting, or just watching a movie or tv show, once you find what makes you happy, you can make time in your day to do that thing, and in turn you will be happier and enjoy your life even more!
Lastly, an additional way to learn to love yourself more is by saying affirmations when you look in the mirror or by writing them on post-it notes and putting them around your room. By saying these affirmations out loud and seeing them around you on a daily basis, they will start to be your truths, and they will make you more confident. Some examples of affirmations that you can use include: “I deserve all that is good,” “I am letting go of all my worries and fears,” and “I chose to focus on happy experiences.” When you start to say these affirmations, it may seem cheesy and feel like you are lying to yourself, but after a while they will become more permanent in your brain, and eventually you will believe them.
I know as well as anyone that the journey to self love is not an easy one. It is filled with ups and downs, and twists and turns, but I can confidently tell you that it is not impossible. It will be something that you will constantly have to work on all of your life, but by implementing some actions such as these, it can make self love achievable for you!