Learning to Love Yourself

By: Helen Kaidantzis

Valentine's day is coming up, and there is no better person to shower with love than yourself.

Sometimes, we are so concerned with pleasing other people that we forget to be kind and empathetic to

ourselves. Taking a break from people-pleasing to focus on yourself is okay. It is not selfish; you are just

getting to know yourself better and finding out what makes you happy.

One way to show self-love is through positive affirmations. Repeatedly telling yourself that you

are worthy, beautiful, and powerful every day can boost your self-confidence. You can also tape up small

notes around your mirror with your favorite motivational quotes or kind messages from your friends to

feel some extra love every morning as you’re preparing for the day ahead.

Embracing your imperfections is another valuable step on the path to self-love. This is easier said

than done. Some days I get up and look in the mirror, and I am just not in the mood to accept that I am not the only person with dark circles and messy hair. There is a lot of pressure from the media to love every single part of your body, but I don’t think this works for everyone. Forcing yourself to ignore your

insecurities is just pushing aside the problem, not solving it. Recognizing that you have imperfections and

that sometimes you don’t want to show them off or love them is okay too. Everyone feels this way.

On the topic of imperfections or insecurities, they can make it feel like the whole world is looking

at you. The spotlight effect is the idea that people usually believe they are more noticed than they really

are. I often have to remind myself that no one else is looking at the breakout on my face. Your love of

yourself shouldn’t depend on what other people think of you. Chances are no one is noticing your bad hair day, and no one noticed you mess up in your presentation.

Lastly, everyone deserves to treat themselves to manifest some self-love. Eat the food that makes

you feel good and happy. Watch your favorite show. Buy the shoes you think you’ll look fantastic in. Get

some flowers for yourself. Treating yourself well helps instill the idea that you are worthy of respect and

love from others. When you prioritize your happiness and wellbeing, other people will do the same.

I hope I convinced you to take it easy on yourself and appreciate your brain and body. Use

Valentines Day as an excuse to indulge in some self-care and maybe even some seasonal chocolates. You

deserve it!