Self-Love through Appreciation: 3 Easy Steps You Can Take Today

Sometimes we get so caught up in the world around us that we forget to pay attention to the vast world inside of us, the place where everything is born. Creativity, strength, inspiration, and compassion are just few gems found when you start to look inside. There is a certain satisfaction and contentment that that can only be found by looking inwards. Many of my clients complain about not being able to love and accept themselves. But before we look at ways to help them love their Self, self-love must first be defined.

Self-love is the regard for one’s own well-being and happiness. It means having an authentic relationship with yourself. It means being honest with yourself. It means getting to know yourself. It means appreciating yourself.

Today I will give you 3 simple ways you can start loving yourself today:

  1. Do one thing every day to appreciate yourself. It can be enjoying your morning coffee without the rush or taking five extra five minutes in shower. Become aware of your presence and be with it in the moment.
  2. Set up a date with your Self. You want to spend quality time with your Self just as you would with a loved one. Enjoy a movie of your choice. Sit in silence and just follow your breath. Have a nice dinner all by yourself. The key again is to be mindful of your presence: your thoughts, your emotions, your anxiety of being alone, etc. And you are not to judge anything. Just observe and then let it go. Do this often.
  3. Finally, thank yourself at the end of the day before going to bed. Being grateful towards anyone or anything helps you to develop compassion. Being grateful towards your Self develops self-love. Genuinely, look in the mirror, make good eye contact, and say “I thank you!”

This is just a start. Let’s try to develop a habit of being comfortable with yourself. These three techniques worked well for me when I knew nothing about self-love. I worked a full-time job and was in school full-time getting my masters’ degree. I worked from 7am to 3pm and then attended classes from 4pm to 10pm. Although I was exhausted at the end of the day, I deliberately told myself (as I brushed my teeth at night), “Great job today! I am so proud of you!” simply because I made through the day. It taught me to appreciate my efforts each day and I developed self-respect, which in turn, developed my self-love.

Please share your thoughts on how this is working out for you.