Nowadays, self-love has become some sort of buzzword that gets tossed around in daily conversations.

• You can’t love others if you don’t love yourself first.
• You have to love yourself more.
• Why don’t you love yourself?
• If only you loved yourself, this wouldn’t have happened to you.

These are just some of the self-love directives often given or received to live a more fulfilling life.

Undeniably, self-love is crucial to living a great life.

It influences how you deal with life problems, the image you project at work, and even who you pick for a mate.

Self-Love in a Nutshell

So what exactly is self-love?

Is it something you can obtain through new outfits or a beauty makeover?

Can you get more of it by reading something motivational or inspirational?

Can a new relationship make you love and appreciate yourself more?

While all those activities can make you feel good, they can’t help you grow your self-love.

Simply put, self-love is not merely a state of feeling good.

At its core, self-love is a state of appreciation for yourself that stems from actions that support your psychological, spiritual, and physical growth.

Self-love grows through actions that allow you to grow and evolve.

It is dynamic.

When you behave in a way that expands your self-love, you are able to better accept your strengths as well as your weaknesses and will have a better compassion for yourself as a human being.

You are better able to appreciate your efforts to find personal meaning and purpose in your life.

The 7-Step Self-Love Prescription

1. Be Mindful

People who have more self-love often know what they feel, think, and want.

They are mindful of who they truly are.

More importantly, they act on this knowledge, rather than on what others expect from them.

2. Opt for What You Need Rather Than What You Want

You know you love yourself when you are able to turn away from something that feels exciting, gratifying, and good to chase after something you need to stay centered, strong, and empowered.

When you stay focused on what you need, you avoid behavior patterns that get you into trouble, reduce your self-love, and keep you stuck.

3. Practice Self-Care

You will be able to appreciate and love yourself more when you take better care of your needs.

People who practice self-love nourish themselves daily through exercise, proper sleep, sound nutrition, intimacy, and healthy social interactions.

4. Set Boundaries

Those who love themselves set limits and say no to work, love, and other activities that can cause harm or deplete their physical, emotional, and spiritual reserves.

5. Protect Yourself

Get rid of toxic people who bring you down.

You shouldn’t waste your time on people who berate you or cause you pain.

Choosing to surround yourself with kind, loving, and positive people is another great way of showing self-respect and self-love.

6. Forgive Yourself

Humans can be so hard on themselves.

Many assume they are taking responsibility for past actions and mistakes by punishing themselves too much.

You have to accept that you are human and you commit mistakes. 

It is all part of learning and growing.

Forgive yourself if you commit mistakes now and then.

The important thing is to learn from those mistakes so you can evolve into the best version of yourself possible.

7. Live Intentionally

You will be able to accept and love yourself more when you live with design, purpose, and intention.

For instance, if you want to live a meaningful and healthy life, make choices that support those goals.

It will make you feel good about yourself.

You will also gain a better appreciation and love for yourself if you have accomplished what you have set out to do.

Over to You

Work on all the self-love actions mentioned above if you want to love and accept yourself more. The self-love actions are designed not only to help you love yourself but also to help you attract circumstances and people that will support you on your self-love journey.