“Self-love” is a term that people often encounter, especially with the growing focus on mental well-being in younger generations. It’s an objective term because nobody can ever say an absolute definition of self-love. It means different for everyone, but it matters just as much for every person we encounter.
According to the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, “Self-love is a state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological and spiritual growth.” It’s about putting yourself first, knowing what’s best for you, and not sacrificing yourself for others.
Not Caring About What Other People Think and Say
In the age of social media, it could seem like people are under more scrutiny than ever. People are accustomed to receiving criticisms one or two at a time. However, with social media, it’s the whole world against one of you–sometimes, all at once. Most of the time, the target of criticisms is insecurities people are more than aware of.
The social comparison phenomenon is prevalent on social media as well. It’s when people compare themselves to people seemingly perfect lives on social media posts. There’s always someone prettier or someone more accomplished in life.
Blocking out these criticisms and the idea of someone better than you open the door for self-love. Self-love is about focusing on yourself. A person might have been planning to get lip fillers because they have been insecure about their lips but won’t get one because society isn’t accepting plastic surgery. This person knows deep within their heart that seeing that pout will make them exponentially happier.
Self-love teaches a person to make whatever makes them happy a reality. It’s about doing it for their own good—for their own happiness. Self-love knows that you–of all people–deserve to be happy. You deserve to give yourself the things that will add value to your life.
Taking a Break
It’s easy to lose track of one’s well-being when they’re busy. They can be workaholics or struggling to make ends meet. People overwork themselves and leave little room for rest.
The mental and physical health repercussions of this are serious. Overworking leads to so much stress that it can impair the immune system and lead to chronic diseases in the long run. An overworked person may also experience burnout, which can make them feel dejected at work, affecting their productivity and performance.
Others would choose work over anything, including sleep. Because of this, the body works and works and works itself without proper rest. It’s important to note that sleep rejuvenates the brain and the body. Without proper sleep, the body will not be in the right condition to survive throughout the day. The cognitive functions of the brain are also impaired because of the lack of sleep, making memory retention much more difficult.
Sometimes, taking a break is the best thing a person can do for self-care. Give the body time to rest, lie down, or sit on a comfortable couch for a while. Consequently, the brain loves a little downtime now and then. Rest helps the mind and body process everything and prepare themselves for more tasks ahead.
Learning, Re-Learning, and Unlearning
People don’t want to be prejudiced by others. Thus, others don’t also want to be prejudiced by you.
It’s natural to have biases that are not exactly politically correct. People are not entirely to blame since they can only be a product of the environment they grew up in. The important thing is the process of unlearning and learning to become a person who other people would want to be around.
This process is part of self-love because it requires admitting that you are wrong. This is entirely human. It means that you care about yourself enough that you are willing to be mindful of your actions and correct them.
Besides, learning and unlearning is part of survival. As times are changing rapidly because of innovations in technology, people need to keep up faster than ever. This means learning about the changes in the workplace, in school, in relationships, etc. To cope with changes, a person has to be open-minded and subject themselves to new lessons every day.
The concept of self-love is so inherent and important that it has the capacity to affect different aspects of a person’s life. It affects their self-esteem, how they perceive themselves, and how they present themselves. Their relationships are not safe from the influences of self-love, too. In self-love, a person sees their worth, so they have learned not to accept anything less than that.
