What Is Self-Love? And, How Does It Help You Live Your Best Life?

On a breezy summer evening, a group of friends sat across from each other in a cafe discussing their dreams for the future and present challenges. In the ebb and flow of the conversation, we learn what is self-love when a confident voice chimes in, “You know I love how I have this ability to bounce back when things don’t work out!”

This statement may seem bold at the outset because we are often taught to be humble and modest about our accomplishments. But let’s tell you this, being aware of our positives, acknowledging and celebrating our strengths is a practice we ought to adopt to live our best lives. We can do this by learning and practising self-love. 

Why Is Self-Love Important for Students? 

Self-love is essentially the regard for one’s wellbeing and happiness. It comprises how we take care of ourselves and how we talk about ourselves. Self-love is a sense of appreciation that we have for ourselves. That has to be nurtured with help of actions that support our physical, psychological, and spiritual growth. 

Self-love also means taking care of your own needs, doing things you enjoy, and not sacrificing your well-being to please others. It is not settling for anything less than what you deserve. 

There is no one-size-fits-all meaning for self-love because all of us have unique needs and ways to care for ourselves. Learning about what works best for you as an individual is a vital part of your mental health. 

Self-love as a practice can help students navigate the pressures that come with academic life. Often students tend to tie their self-worth to marks and become self-critical when they don’t achieve what they had set out to. It is crucial to know that come what may, failure or success, you are important. And, that you have qualities that contribute to who you are as a person. And, that you’re capable of doing brilliant things. Thinking positively about yourself and practising self-love boosts your confidence, in turn, helping you live a meaningful life with wholesome relationships and happiness. 

Practise Self-Love in 5 Steps…

1. The first step is becoming mindful by being aware of your likes, dislikes, needs, and wants, and so on. 
2. The next step is to focus on your needs through self-care to stay happier. Folks with high self-love get optimum nutrition, rest, leisure, etc. 
3. The third step is nurturing your talents or cultivating a hobby, simply because you enjoy it and it makes you feel good. 
4. The fourth step is having healthy habits that spell caring for yourself and doing activities, not for the sake of it, rather because it’s meaningful and you care about it. 
5. Finally, the last step is treating yourself with kindness and speaking to yourself as a loving friend. You need to be patient and gentle with yourself, come what may. This exercise can transform the way you see yourself.
   

Some More Activities To Try

• Circle of love – Practising self-appreciation does not have to be a lonely activity. You can always include friends or family. Here, a small group can sit down in a circle and tell each other what they like about themselves. And, what they appreciate about each other. The benefits of this activity are twofold – people become confident about themselves and value the qualities of their loved ones as well.
• What’s your type – Another way to love yourself is getting to know your personality type. This will help you understand yourself better and not force yourself into moulds. For instance, if you’re an introvert, knowing this will help you celebrate your tendencies as opposed to feeling frustrated by them. 
• Loving-kindness meditation – There is nothing better than peace and quiet where you talk to yourself in a loving and kind manner. All you need to do is find a quiet place, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Then tell yourself, “May I be safe, may I be healthy, may I be happy,” etc. You can always include any other affirmations of your choice, too. 

Cultivating self-love takes a while, and doing all of the above at once can be overwhelming. So, we suggest you take it one step at a time. And, if you don’t know how and where to begin, you can always start by saying that, you love yourself. 

Also read:

Why Self-Compassion Is Important For Students’ Growth

Here’s Why the Gratitude List Is Your New Best Friend