You’re probably too hard on yourself. It’s much easier to make your way through the world if you love yourself. Perhaps the greatest struggle we all face is the struggle to accept and love ourselves in spite of our many flaws. This isn’t something that’s likely to happen without a little work, though, because we seem to be programmed to ridicule ourselves.
Love yourself more each day with these strategies:
1. Give yourself an earnest compliment each day. Have you ever felt like you needed a compliment? Go ahead and give yourself one! Think about all your great qualities and congratulate yourself on one of them. There’s no reason to wait for someone else to get around to saying something nice. Give yourself a nice compliment right now.
2. Make a list of your accomplishments. You’ve accomplished plenty of great things. Make a list of all of them. Be creative and give this exercise some thought. You’ll find that your life has been more impressive than you realized.
- Did you make the list?
3. Eat in a healthier manner. Take better care of yourself by making some changes to your diet. We could all use a little improvement in this department. You know which foods are healthy. Add a few of them to your diet and drop a few of the less healthy foods.
- Show yourself that you’re important. You wouldn’t feed junk food to your child or beloved pet. Give yourself the same level of importance.
4. Support a cause you believe in. Spending time on something you think is important is a great way to show yourself that you’re a good person. You’ll feel better about yourself and put a smile on your face.
5. Be grateful. Appreciating what you have makes it easier to love yourself. No one enjoys being around a complainer. Think about your life and make a list of the things and people that fill you with gratitude. It’s surprising how much of a great life you already have.
6. Forgive your past self. Sure, you’ve made some mistakes and probably done and said a few awful things along the way. But that period of your life is over now. Why drag the past into the present? You can make a fresh start each day. Let it go.
7. Make one small improvement. As great as you are, you can be even better. Make one small change that will enhance your life in some way. Maybe it’s exercising for few minutes each week or calling your mom once a week. Show yourself that you can grow and become a better version of yourself. Try these easy ideas:
- Pay all of your bills on time.
- Be more patient with your family.
- Be on time for work each day.
- Do five pushups each morning.
8. Do one thing each day makes you happy. If not today, when? There’s no time like the present to begin enjoying your life. Start taking those guitar lessons, finally get a dog, or volunteer at the local food bank. Start loving your life and yourself.
9. Avoid people that drag you down. Odds are that at least one of your relationships is poisoning your life. It might be a friendship, romantic relationship, or a relationship with a family member. Value yourself enough to avoid negative people and relationships.
You have many wonderful qualities that you’ve been overlooking. Believe that you deserve love from yourself and those in your life. A little self-love will enhance every part of your life.