The 13th of February marks a little known global holiday, the International Day of Self-Love, so to celebrate this worthy occasion, we’ll be dedicating the entire month to all things adoring yourself, asking what is self-love, why is it important and how really to love yourself.
This week, we’re asking; what is self-love and what does it mean? It’s a pretty open-ended question, one that’s very much subject to personal opinion, but in general, it’s considered to be a combination of:
- Self-care
- Self-appreciation
These ideas too, can be open to interpretation, however, it’s increasingly accepted that self-care and self-appreciation, concern both your physical and mental wellbeing. They are all intrinsically linked too, with each generally having a knock-on effect on the other.
Self-Care
Self-care can take many different forms. Physically caring for yourself can include things like eating healthily, exercising regularly and looking after your appearance.
Mentally caring for yourself too, can include things like exercising and eating healthily, yet also extends to areas such as practising mindfulness, ensuring your work-life balance is manageable and engaging in healthy relationships. By caring for ourselves in this way, we are practising self-love, ensuring we are functioning in a way that best benefits both body and mind.
Self-Appreciation
As mentioned, self-appreciation can very much be a consequence of self-care. To appreciate one’s self is to value yourself, to know your worth and to have confidence in your being, all things which are complimented and enhanced when our physical and mental wellbeing are being looked after.
Do you know those nagging anxieties, those ones that cause you to question even the silliest of things? Well, they might be a result of your inability to appreciate yourself, to acknowledge the value you bring to situations. Have faith in your ideas, beliefs and physicality, because no matter what they are like, they are formed based on your lived experiences and the conclusions they’ve caused you to reach.
Catch up on Self-Love February
How to love yourself / What do you love most about yourself? / The ultimate Self-Love Bodycare Routine
