Self-love: What It Means and Why It is Important

With life being too busy, we often get carried away and forget to take care of ourselves. But in reality, self-love is critical to our overall well-being. Not only does it help lower your stress levels, but it also has a lot of mental and physical health benefits.

According to the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, self-love is a state of appreciation for oneself, and it may look different to each person. Forgiving yourself, refraining from self-judgment, trusting yourself, and understanding and valuing your worth, are some ways we can demonstrate self-love. This can also include setting healthy boundaries and prioritizing your own needs, while also not settling for less than you deserve.

All these encompass one thing - being kind to yourself. And as a result, self-love can boost your well-being, both mentally and physically. It teaches you the importance of putting yourself first. It makes you see that when you treat yourself better, you're more likely to engage in activities that make you happy, which not only improves your relationship with yourself but also with others. And putting yourself first means prioritizing your needs, and that includes your body's need for physical activity. Being physically active improves your thinking, learning, and ability to make rational decisions, and can reduce short-term feelings of anxiety. In the long term, regular exercise leads to improved brain health, and weight management and reduces your risk for certain cancers and other diseases. It also extends to the food you eat, as it can affect how you feel and react to unpleasant situations. And when you practice self-love, you learn not to beat yourself up for every calorie you take in, and also allow yourself to enjoy your favorite foods.

Here are some ways to cultivate self-love:

• Keep a gratitude journal

• Compliment yourself

• Speak to yourself as you would to a friend

• Practice mindfulness

• Celebrate small wins

• Limit social media time

Self-love doesn’t sprout overnight. If you haven’t grown up learning to self-love, practicing it might seem unnatural at first. Experts say that therapy is a great place to start. You can book a session with Mind You's licensed psychologists and work with them on increasing awareness of your body’s needs and making positive lifestyle changes.