I am going to start this off honestly: Over the past year, I have stumbled down a dangerous path of self-hatred. I became someone who could not depend on herself, someone who was self-deprecating and someone who could not even look in the mirror. I had periods of time where I would not leave my bed, I would not eat or interact with people. I began to tear myself down mentally and physically until I became a burnt out version of who I used to be.

I have given my all to someone who dragged me through the mud, accepted less love than I deserve, and constantly put others before myself. I began to believe that the only way I could ever love myself is if someone else told me they needed me. I relied on the love and approval of others in order to survive. I would live my life based off of the opinions that others had of me, whether they be positive or negative. I never believed that I was enough for myself or for anyone.

It was not until I saw myself at the bottom that I realized how poorly I had been treating myself.

I knew that something needed to change, going through my days self-loathing was negatively affecting every aspect of my life. Learning to love myself is not something that happens overnight. It is a daily reminder, it is looking in the mirror and liking what I see, it is being content with my own company. I am learning what makes me happy, what makes me tick, and who I want to be in my future.

Self-love is always preached about, but no one ever tells you how difficult it can be. I am here to tell anyone that it is okay that you are still learning to love yourself. We are constantly growing and changing and we will begin to love different parts of ourselves as we discover them.

My advice? Take it one day at a time. Always be open to learning and appreciating new things about yourself. Every day I struggle with self-love, but I never give up on it because I know it will just take time and effort.