Self-love is a crucial aspect of personal growth and mental well-being, but it can mean different things to different people. We asked professionals from various fields to share their perspectives on self-love and their favorite ways to practice it....
Self-love is a crucial aspect of personal growth and mental well-being, but it can mean different things to different people. We asked professionals from various fields to share their perspectives on self-love and their favorite ways to practice it. In this article, we present three unique insights into the meaning of self-love and how to incorporate it into your daily life.
? Three Elements of Self-Love
? Prioritize Well-Being with “No”
? Self-Reflection and Personal Routines
Three Elements of Self-Love
To me, self-love encompasses three things:
First, do I trust myself? This means, do I usually make the right choices or come to the best solutions for myself, and can I count on myself most of the time? Second, do I have compassionate, kind, and fair self-talk? What does my inner voice say to me? Would I speak to a friend or a child the way I talk to myself?
Last, do I have self-compassion when I make a mistake? Because mistakes will happen, and how I treat myself when they do is important. Do I acknowledge the lesson, understanding that learning is often poignant and effective through adversity, and that making a mistake doesn't mean I'm a bad person?
These are the three elements of self-love to me. I am the person I will spend the most time with in my life, so I might as well learn to love myself in the way we're all worthy of from cradle to grave.
Prioritize Well-Being with "No"
Self-love is an enlightened state of appreciation for oneself. It grows from many pillars—physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, etc. It means having the utmost respect and regard for myself and making my own well-being and happiness a priority each new day!
My favorite way to practice self-love is by saying "no." At this moment in my life, I believe that taking care of my own needs and ending the sacrifice of my well-being to please others is imperative for my growth in my self-love journey.
Self-Reflection and Personal Routines
For me, self-love means recognizing my needs and providing space for myself to fulfill them. My core psychological need is to spend time alone in self-reflection, and I honor this need with my morning and evening routines.
My morning starts with drinking a fresh cup of coffee on my terrace and journaling. I write in three different journals every day (a gratitude journal for encouraging gratefulness, morning pages for emotional regulation, and a goals journal for inspiration and motivation).
My evening ends with drinking chamomile tea in my bed, reading, and doing calming breathing exercises. If I honor these two needs, I have a lot of energy throughout the day and feel loved and appreciated by myself.
Self-love is a vital component of personal growth and mental well-being. It can be achieved through various practices, such as prioritizing well-being with “no,” self-reflection, personal routines, and having compassionate and kind self-talk. To love oneself means to respect and regard oneself and make one’s well-being and happiness a priority every day. It is essential to recognize our needs, fulfill them, and treat ourselves with self-compassion, especially when we make mistakes. Loving oneself is a lifelong journey that requires intentional practices and continuous efforts to maintain a healthy relationship with oneself.
What’s one way that you practice self-love? Tell us about your favorite self-love practice in the comments.
On a self-love journey and want even more tips? Check out 5 Simple Self-Care Ideas to Try ASAP.
Rya Michele is a wife, mother of three, registered nurse, and photographer. She's also a proud feminist and women's advocate who believes in giving women the tools they need to feel beautiful and empowered.
She started her business as a way to combine her love of photography with her passion for helping women feel good about themselves—and it's been going well!
She loves travel and trying new things—and when they're combined with photography? Even better!
If you're looking for someone to help you plan your dream boudoir session, look no further! Book a consultation call with Rya today!
I love sharing my blog posts with you and hearing your feedback, but sometimes it’s nice to send a little something extra! I don’t email often, but if you’re interested, I am here to serve you so be sure to stay in touch by signing up for my newsletter where you’ll be notified of my upcoming offers, promotions, retreats, events and more! It’s worth it, I promise!
~Rya 
