The most important relationship you can ever have is the one you have with yourself. The only person who is with you, right from the moment you are born till the moment you die, is you. The happier we are in ourselves, the happier and better quality our life and our relationships can be. And not coincidentally, the more loving and the more accepting we are of ourselves, the easier it is for us to be loved and accepted by someone else…
7 Keys to Self-Love:
1 Make self-care a priority. Get enough sleep, get enough exercise, and eat the kind of food that makes you feel happy and alive.
2 Manage stress. Meditation and yoga are great ways to relax and destress - whatever works for you, do it regularly.
3 Also make time for doing the things that make you happy. What do you enjoy most that you would love to do more of? Do it. Also do nothing sometimes, make time for chilling and watching the daisies grow (or your version thereof)
4 Focus on what's great about you - write down all the compliments you get. In 2008, I dated a guy Ronnie from Manchester & one day he said to me 'you are so incredibly talented.' We weren't together long but the memory of that has stayed with me. When someone gives you a compliment, accept the gift, they are offering you. Write your favourite ones down in a journal and reread them regularly, and particularly if it's a day when the sun isn't shining for you.
5 Forgive yourself your flaws, be as kind to yourself about your own mistakes as you would be to a dear friend. We all make mistakes; rather than beating yourself up for what you did wrong, keep your attention on moving forward with questions like - how can I improve on that next time? How can I do a better job in the future? How can I improve on the way I deal with that person & build a better relationship?
6 Spend time with the people you love. Spend time with family and friends as often as possible, they nourish your soul and give you that wonderful sense of security. In the past humans had a much higher survival rate when they stayed in groups and hunted together, protected each other and looked after each other when they were ill. Anyone who left the group to be on their own had a much lower rate of survival. Today we are descended from the ones who stayed in the group; every human is wired for connection, is wired for love, and is wired to part of a tribe. Respect that need.
7 Spend time in nature. The Scandinavian countries - the happiest in the world, make the outdoors a big part of their life. Despite the weather they wrap up warmly and go foraging in the forests. Whether it is the nearest park, the nearest forest or the nearest garden, how can you be in nature more often?
Wishing you an infinite well of love for yourself!