A Guide to Building a Self-Relationship: Start Loving Yourself Today
In this blog post, we will discover the very foundation of self-love and care: having a relationship with yourself. We’ll delve into what a self-relationship is and how to cultivate it, so you can genuinely start loving yourself.
What are the steps to genuinely loving and caring for yourself? While we all try to join in the aesthetic practices of self-love and self-care, we overlook what it means to actually love and care for ourselves. We also often focus on external relationships but rarely discuss the importance of connecting with ourselves.
3 Steps to Actually Loving Yourself
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Self-Love v. Self-Relationship
Building a relationship with yourself is the first and most important step towards self-love. Having a relationship with yourself is just like any other relationship; you have to get to know yourself, spend time with yourself, and pour into yourself.
Self-love in the media is so heavily focused on unattainable aesthetic practices when really it’s so much more complex. Self-love has become all about specific ways you can express love to yourself, but not how to actually love yourself.
A relationship with yourself is more extensive and is necessary to actually love yourself.
What is a Self-Relationship?
A self-relationship is the connection and understanding you have with yourself. It allows you to truly know and care for who you are.
Why is it Important?
- Creates a sense of stillness within yourself
- Boosts your confidence
- Encourages self-improvement
- Aids in setting and respecting your limits with others
- Builds strength to cope with challenges
- Enhances your connections with others
- Contributes to a balanced and fulfilling
1. Improve Self-Awareness/Date Yourself
What is a Self-Awareness?
Self-awareness means understanding your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It helps you make choices that align with your true self, leading to a more authentic and fulfilling relationship with yourself.
- Journal: Reflect on your thoughts and feelings daily
- Meditate: Practice mindfulness to observe your inner world
- Self-reflect: Regularly evaluate your actions and decisions
Date Yourself?
Dating yourself means spending quality time alone to enjoy and nurturing your own company. We are ofter told that being alone is a bad thing and something to avoid. But, you have to learn to find comfort, security, and wholeness within yourself.
| Check out this post on solitude
This is where most self-love practices would fall under. Try some of these other ideas to date yourself
- Take yourself out to dinner
- Go to a movie alone
- Enjoy a solo hike or nature walk
- Have a spa day at home
- Visit a museum or art gallery
- Spend time on a hobby or craft
2. Prioritizing Your Well-Being
Importance of prioritizing well-being
Prioritizing your well-being can mean a bunch of things! Whether it’s going to the gym or eating healthy, but it also includes your mental and emotional well-being. How do you manage stress? Balance work and play? Make time for yourself?
Think about the following questions as you begin to prioritize yourself:
Healthy lifestyle
- What does your nutrition look like?
- How do you move your body?
- What does your sleep schedule look like?
Stress management
- How do you manage daily stress?
- How do you deal with potential mental health issues?
Balancing work and personal life
- What does a balanced life look like for you?
- How do you practice time management?
- When do you take breaks and reset?
3. Put Yourself First
Selfish v. Selfull
We all know what selfishness is: putting one’s own needs and desires over others. But selfishness is bad, right?
My new word selfullness is putting one’s own needs and desires first to be one’s most whole self. You have to pour into yourself before you can pour into others, and having a relationship with yourself is just the way to do that.
How to be Selfull
- Protect your energy at all times
- Always be intentional with your decisions
- Prioritize your well-being
- Learn about yourself
- Treat yourself
- Surround yourself with people who make you better
- Eliminate unnecessary stress
Try out these strategies and share your experience in the comments below! Subscribe for more tips on self-love and check out our other posts in the inner peace category. Follow along on pinterest for weekly quotes and new post alerts!
