Loving Yourself
no journey is complete without learning how to love yourself.
The first step in learning to love yourself is understanding the meaning of self-love is to you. Think of it in the context of the love you have for your partner or a close friend: You are aware of their flaws but appreciate how those imperfections make up the person you care about, trust and support. Now turn all that compassion, forgiveness and understanding inward. “Self-love means accepting your strengths, your weaknesses and everything in between,” says Hannah Elise Rose, LCPC, a therapist in private practice in Baltimore. When you have self-love, she says, you can acknowledge your mistakes and work toward changing them or making amends, but also forgive yourself rather than dwelling on your shortcomings. Besides, a lack of self-love can adversely affect your well-being. Research has found that low self-esteem is correlated with depression and poorer mental and physical health
overall. “Depression gets you into a rut of thinking very negatively about yourself,” explains Melanie Greenberg, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Mill Valley, CA, and the author of The Stress-Proof Brain. “If you have self-love, you’re challenging that thought pattern. You’re less likely to dwell on it.” And even if you’re not experiencing any depressive symptoms, Greenberg says having self-love will make you more resilient through negative life events you may experience. “Self-love reduces your suffering,” she says. In other words, it can help you comfort yourself in tough moments and come out feeling calmer. Here are five easy ways to boost your feelings of self-love, from Hamilton and other experts.
BY SARA GAYNES LEVY
Loving Yourself
“Just be yourself, there is no one better.”
― Taylor Swift
