What is self-love? Does it have requirements? Does it take time out of your schedule to maintain? Is it an attitude, a habit or something that comes along when the time is right? Should you feel self-love all day, or only when you deserve it? How can you differentiate self-love from an unwillingness to change and grow?

These questions aren’t easy to answer, and they might differ from person to person. There are many different methods of self-actualization. In order to be a better person, it is your responsibility to find this. After all, even the worst identity can be slightly calmed by finding the cause to love yourself no matter what. This might show its need after a messy breakup, after losing out on your dream, or simply feeling terrible about your current circumstances. Sometimes we let our circumstances get the better of us and find unhealthy ways to cope. It’s not always apparent how to proceed, and so hopefully this following advice should help you make that decision. After all, what’s better than love, surrounding yourself and all the people you adore?

Do Something That Makes You Proud

While life is experienced differently from person to person, and people are absolutely more or less inclined to certain disciplines during their time here, there are many universal things we share as members of the same species. One of these is the ability to feel good from completing tasks with challenge. Doing something that makes you proud is one of the best ways forward, no matter what it is. Without this, your life becomes bitter, stale and stagnant. It’s the quickest way into lethargy and depression. Conversely, trying (and maybe even failing initially) at something can direct our minds and our spirits towards something we consider worthwhile like giving back to your community.

If you have the capacity to do this, you should. You might not feel like you have this option, but you absolutely do. There’s always something to help you move forward in something you like. Even if you are bound to a wheelchair, who is to say you can’t write a blog about your interests, and collate your thoughts to make the day of someone else sharing that interest? Who says that you can’t make a massive impact from your computer screen?

If you are able bodied, this can be much more raw and physical. It doesn’t even need a massive purpose. Taking the effort to walk on a hike and heading a little further every few days can gift you that sense of progression, and also help you with meditative reflection. It might be deciding to tackle the health of your diet and implement more minerals and vitamins, similar to the Cambridge diet requirements.

Anything that allows you to grab a figurative boulder and push it up a mountain piece by piece helps you grow as a person. Even retirees are beginning to see the benefit in this, and understand that the best way to develop a mindset of progression is to do just that, progress.

Connect With People Who Love & Understand You

Connecting with social links is so important in the modern day. No matter who you are, this is a given need. Us humans are like plants, in that we desire the water of common affection and understanding to thrive and even live. No matter how comfortable with yourself you are (we hope you are!) it’s no lie that enhancing your life comes through great social connections. This is twofold. It could mean going outside of your comfort zone to find friends. With the online capabilities for communication, meetups and connecting with a community you enjoy, this possibility is almost endless. Another method might be to prune your existing friendship group. We cannot afford toxic people in our lives, and sometimes you might feel giving more energy into a relationship despite receiving nothing in return.

You are too valuable to experience this, and keeping this attitude will prevent people from walking all over you. A good indicator of this is to find when you are having to falsify your personality for someone. If you find yourself saying things you don’t mean around them, or limiting your personality in a way that feels uncomfortable to please them, you should not have them in your life, or should at least discuss this issue for a potential resolution. Life is too short to spend it in needless conflict, so don’t be afraid to make these decisions.

If you’re in a situation where you don’t have the love and support you need to better your life there are places and people to help you. If you find you are trying to make changes and better your circumstances there are treatment centers available out there. Do your research and look into places likeThe Recovery Village in Aurora, Colorado. Self-love includes letting go of all those things that are mentally and physically getting in your way.

It might be easy to think that self-love is a complex affair, requiring daily rituals, strange incantations, habits that make you sweat and difficulty at every turn. That is simply not true, as the two tidbits of advice listed above can be more than enough to nurture and express a healthy amount of self-love.

After all, simplicity is key, and when you love yourself, you’ll cherish its easy nature.

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