Say it with me loves…I am loving myself today!
The journey to self-love is one many people are familiar with and one that many others are learning to become familiar with. Though not everyone’s journey is the same, I think that there are some key points every person should take account of when going through their own self-love journey. Being that I’m working on my own journey, I wanted to share some key points I’m taking with my journey and that I think are important for you to remember while on your own journey.
The journey isn’t an easy one to take.
The self-love journey is anything but easy to take. I know everyone is different and has different experiences, but if you’re someone who has been struggling to find self-love for a long time, then prepare for a rollercoaster. This could seem like a discouraging point, but it’s important to know this because there’s going to be a moment where you may be progressing and then a week later you’re looking at yourself in the mirror trying to figure out why you don’t like the person you see looking back at you. There is no journey that is a linear, straight path. You’re going to have some curves, sharp turns, and obstacles you might have to jump over but don’t let it discourage you. I’m still at the beginning of my self-love journey so I understand how easy it is to want to quit. Just remember that it’s not going to be easy but it will be worth it.
It’s okay to work on your body while on your journey.
I think people on social media (mostly trolls) like to assume that when you’re working on loving yourself, it means you can’t work on changing yourself at the same time. This is not true as long as it’s in a healthy way. Before I continue, I want to make it clear that not every self-love journey involves your body or weight. You can love yourself physically but not love yourself as a person. For those who are on a self-love journey all around like myself, it’s important to know that it’s okay to work on getting healthy while working on loving your body as it is. In fact, making sure your body is at its healthiest state is a form of self-love. If you’re already doing that, then you’re on the right track! Now you just have to learn to love those areas on your body that make it yours. Though difficult in itself, I think working out is the easier part. The hard part is learning to love each roll, stretch mark, lump, bump, etc. That’s where the work in this journey really begins.
Comparing yourself to others will only set you back.
It’s easier said than done but do not compare yourself to others. Comparing yourself never helps anyone in the long run. It only harms you and can set you back from your journey. Self-love and the journey look different for everyone. This is also where social media can mess with your mind. You’ll see someone online who has shared that they’ve been on their own self-love journey and it could look amazing online. It may look like it was a quick journey that was nothing but peaceful healing. However, that could be the total opposite of how things went. Now you’re comparing your journey to theirs and wondering why is your journey so tough. I’ll say this again…everybody’s journey is different. You might not even compare someone’s journey but their endpoint and how you want your endpoint to look…don’t do that either. Everybody is different, every personality is different, and every journey is different. Don’t compare your journey at all and stay focused on yourself and what your own journey entails.
Self care = self love.
This one could seem obvious, but some might not know this. Regardless, the point that self-care equaling self-love is still key. What do I mean by this? Well, on your journey to self-love, it’s important to make sure you’re doing self-care as well. This is part of your journey. There are so many different ways to do self-care, but they’re all crucial to your journey. As I said in the point about working on your body, taking care of yourself is a form of self-love. Of course, this isn’t just working out. This could look like starting to do spa days (home or in an actual spa), making sure you’re well hydrated, taking at least one rest day in the week, going to therapy, etc. Whatever this looks like in your own journey, make sure you’re incorporating these things.
As you grow into self-love, your mindset/boundaries also need to grow and change.
Lastly, while you’re growing into your own self-love journey, you also need to change your mindset and boundaries. I think that as you sit down and think about boundaries and what yours are, you might realize that you either have none or they’re extremely low. This is not self-love. Loving yourself also means respecting yourself and making sure others are giving you that same respect. This may not go for everyone, but if you don’t care much or love yourself, then you won’t care about how others treat you. This is why it’s key for you to change totally within your self-love journey. Sometimes it can be hard to change that mindset and that’s why I also support going to therapy and letting a professional help. It may be hard for you to figure things out on your own but a professional can help guide you along the way.
I believe that this journey is one that’s never-ending. Life can come at you fast and things are always changing. No one loves themselves ALL the time. I know we all want that to be the case and it would be nice, but there’s always going to be some moments that creep up on you when you thought your journey was over. Be patient with yourself as you’re going through this path and enjoy the experience.
Are you on your own journey of self-love? Which key point stuck out to you the most?
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