There's nothing quite like being in love, undoubtedly. But of all the different kinds of love, self love is a love that is often overlooked by many people. While we learn from a young age to share with others, to treat others with respect, and to contribute to the world as much as we can, it's really only been in the past decade that I have become more aware of the multiple movements to love myself above anyone else.
It can be a difficult topic for some people to grasp. Sometimes, since we only learn how to love others, learning to love ourselves can seem selfish. Even when I started trying to learn how to appreciate myself more, I thought of all the time I could be giving attention to other things - friends, family, responsibilities. But much like learning that shampooing your hair every day is actually unhealthy and finally deciding to wash your hair every few days, things seem a bit off before the benefits start rolling in. In my case, after I started learning to appreciate myself, I realized how much fun it was and how much better everything was for my well-being.
It all starts somewhere, and for those starting out trying to love themselves it can be difficult trying to find where to start at all. The basics are very simple and can be fulfilled in one exercise. A very common one is to grab a pen and paper or open up a word processor and write down things you like about yourself. While we can always think of things we want to change about ourselves, this is something that doesn't cross our minds as often as it should. For example, I really like how my eyes look; they're a nice deep shade of brown. If you really can't think of anything yourself, find someone you love and/or trust and ask them what they like about you. If you find the right person, they might even be able to write your list for you! Then you can go in the mirror or just think about what ended up on your list from that other person and meditate on it. Think: "These things are positive things about me, my greatest assets." Think about these things from time to time. Remember them.
After you learn a basic understanding of loving yourself, you can move onto the bigger ways of self-appreciation. Save up some extra money and go on a #TreatYoSelf shopping spree. Find some time to sleep in on a weekend. Find a way to go out with friends (or if you're not feeling up to it, cancel a hangout with friends). Those just happen to be my preferred ways of treating myself, but the options are endless. (A particular favorite option of mine is when some people went out to have a "beach body" photoshoot to love themselves.) If you treat the ones you love in special ways and you love yourself, shouldn't you also be treating yourself in a special way too?
Much like eating, breathing, and slaying at life, loving yourself should be something you do every day, whether you choose to have a little extra dessert when you can or designate time in your schedule for yourself with no outside distractions.
Remember to love yourself first and foremost above anyone else, in a way only you can. Because no one can love you quite like you can.
