Loving yourself isn’t just something that makes getting through day-to-day life much easier overall, it will help the people in your life love you even more. The more respect we can give ourselves, the better relationships we have with our family, our friends, and the better we perform at work. Yet learning to love yourself can be a challenging process for many. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some of the ways you can start loving yourself more right now.
Give Yourself Down Time
We live in an age of toxic productivity— where we believe that we should constantly be doing something, or we are consequently a failure. The truth is that downtime is one of the most valuable gifts you can give yourself. The more time you give yourself to breathe, and do something that calms you down the more space you’ll give yourself to simply exist.
What does downtime look like for you? Perhaps it’s playing your favorite app, or doing some gardening. For other people it might mean going to the spa, or going for a run. Do whatever you love to do that doesn’t involve working, or feeling like you must be productive. In many cases, our greatest moments of productivity spring from giving ourselves a break.
Read More
Reading can be a great way to open your mind up to different ways of seeing things. Reading expands our intelligence, and opens our eyes in a variety of ways that movies, or other distractions can’t provide. Read things that are truly inspiring, and give you motivation to live your fullest life. Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, choose something that gives you a boost of inspiration, and you can’t go wrong.
Let Things Go
Life isn’t easy. Many times “bad” things happen, and we often blame others for these situations. Unfortunately, holding onto negative patterns of thinking, and blaming others for our issues will only bring us down in the end. Let things go and don’t sweat the small stuff. Forgive others, and while you’re at it forgive yourself. Learn to hold the past in your hand and release it into the atmosphere. Doing so will open yourself up to all sorts of possibilities.
Laugh More
Don’t feel guilty about finding the joy in life. Laugh more, and find joy in everything that you do. All too often we feel like we have to be serious and focused in order to feel like we’re doing our best. When in reality, sometimes letting out a huge belly laugh is the greatest way to show ourselves that we are worth it. Because you are worth joy, you’re worth enjoyment, and you are worth happiness.
