What it Means to Practice Self Love
Writer: Khushi Mirpuri
Editor: Angelica Marin
Everyone has different definitions for what self love means. Some people think it's about having a balanced diet and working out, others think it's about reading self-help books, then there are some that love to travel in immersive experiences. In this article, we will explore some types of self love and how it can increase our levels of happiness. Therefore, bringing up our vibrations and allowing the universe to provide us with the best opportunities.
There are so many ways to love yourself, but it all stems from listening to your body and taking on that responsibility to care for it. It is about continuously being open to have your chi align and keeping your hormones in balance. Popular methods that you have probably heard in order to do this are meditation, yoga, and drinking water. They all help with relaxation and becoming focused. A lot of people try to distract themselves from what they are truly feeling. That is why ‘burnout’ and exhaustion occurs. The more you tire yourself out the more frequent mood swings will occur and this affects your whole well being.
Stress is a huge factor that a lot of people try to control, especially in college, but there is never a full proof method to keep it far away from us. Rather than that we have to learn to accept it and the responsibilities we take on. I always have problems with anxiety and how it affects me, but when I changed my mindset about stress and anxiety I started to notice a substantial difference in how my body reacts to those emotions. I realized that these feelings usually bring up negative energy, but then I saw a podcast that suggested that the mood imbalance is occurring because I care. Now when I am anxious about taking a test or giving a presentation, I want to be a bit anxious because it shows that I care about what I'm doing and how I present myself.
Prioritizing yourself can be one of the hardest things to do because we often forget to care for ourselves. The aspect of taking yourself on a date or doing something as simple as cleaning your room is a mechanism I utilize as a part of my week to check-in with how I'm feeling. There are always small tasks you can do as an outlet. Outlets are important because internalizing everything leads to an explosion of emotion that has been built up.
Communication is important in any relationship, so it also has to be important internally. Your body’s homeostasis is closely related to your emotions, so make sure you're listening to your heart, mind, and overall well being. As human beings, we are meant to talk and share our perspectives, so do the same with yourself.
Self love is so broad and it can mean whatever you think is significant to you that is why it is important to be authentic to yourself. Hold what is true close to your heart and accept yourself so you can grow into your full potential. Think of what self love means to you and prioritize those values, so you may implement it in your life if it doesn’t already exist.