What does “self-love” mean to you?
The most important relationship in your life is the one you have with yourself. Do you agree?
If you have trouble understanding the term, “Self-love” another way to understand this is to realize that it can motivate and guide you towards self-care practices. Those who genuinely love themselves are more likely to prioritize their health and happiness.
Self-love took me a long time to understand, and now I see the importance of practicing self-care.
I live in Orange County, California, where most people are into exercise, taking care of staying healthy and youthful. Self-care is important to me, and I don’t think it’s being self-centered or selfish. It’s something I do for myself and for my adult children. It doesn’t mean I’m egotistical and lack kindness and empathy towards others. It means that I want to keep as active and healthy as I can be to enjoy the rest of my life and avoid health issues as long as I can.
Another part of self-love is setting boundaries,
Is self-care the same as self-centeredness?
Self-care is essential, but what do I mean by it? (Here is my list)
- Eat right, and avoid fast food, sugary sodas, and desserts
- Exercise every day
- Take pride in yourself and your looks (for yourself)
- Avoid alcohol
- Sleep 7-8 hours
- Do not smoke
- Call your friends
- Check on family members
- Keep learning
- Belong to a community
- Gratitude Journaling
- Meditation
- Travel
Self care is not the same as being self-centered.
What is self-centeredness?
According to Chat GPT, the definition of self-centeredness:
“Self-centeredness refers to a personality trait or behavior where an individual excessively focuses on themselves, their own needs, desires, and interests, often to the exclusion or neglect of others. It can manifest in various ways, such as constantly talking about oneself, seeking attention or validation, prioritizing personal gain over the well-being of others, and displaying a lack of empathy or consideration for others’ feelings and perspectives.”
Finally, Marissa Peer describes 3 ways to know you love yourself in a succinct manner in this short video.
Sonia,
I TOTALLY agree with your list. I would call the BIG dozen, plus one, for happiness.
Bill,
I think happiness comes from self-love and self-care. Thank you for reading my post.
To me, an essential art of self-care is setting healthy boundaries. When I set them for myself in my marriage, it was transformative (in very positive ways and even saved the marriage) and in friendships too (it helped me let go of relationships that were draining and hurtful).
Valerie,
I agree with you. I don’t know if you read my article on that topic as I believe many of us are people-pleasers.
Hey Sonia,
You seem like a breath of fresh air.
You have proved that age is just a number.
At 58, you seem so positive about your new life and I congratulate you for that.
Self-love is important to achieve peach in life.
Keep up the good work.
Jason@motivationpay recently posted..Overcoming Learned Helplessness
I love your take on self-love! It’s so true that when we prioritize our own well-being, we can show up better for others too. I’ve found that setting boundaries and practicing self-care has made a huge difference in my life. Thanks for sharing your insights!