It’s Never Too Late to… Love Yourself

I’m going to ask you a question now, and I want you to be honest.

Do you love yourself?

When I ask women this question, most of them reply with a resounding '“NO!”

Others will say “It Depends”, but if you’re not loving yourself all the time, then is it really self-love?

And then, there will be one or two women, who raise their hands and say, YES”, they do love themselves, warts and all. But these women are quite rare.

It has taken me most of my adult life, but now in my mid-forties, I can finally say I love myself.

This doesn’t mean I think I’m perfect, far from it. But it does mean I’ve done the work, I’ve forgiven the past and I’ve accepted all the different facets of myself. Even the wobbly bits with cellulite and the road map of stretch marks across my stomach.

Does this acceptance mean I never want to be healthier and fitter? No! But it does mean I’ve stopped disliking myself and punishing myself for not matching society’s version of a perfect beach and bikini ready body, for example.

On social media I often encourage women to love themselves and participate in self-care, but what is the difference between self-love and self-care?

Self-Love vs. Self-Care

Self-love is an attitude of self-respect, acceptance, and appreciation for one's own self. It is an unconditional, positive regard for oneself, regardless of one's imperfections or mistakes.

Self-care, on the other hand, is the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health and well-being. This includes physical health, mental health, and emotional health. For example you may practice self-care by getting enough rest, eating healthy, exercising regularly, and taking time to relax and have fun.

The Importance of Self-Love

Well self-love - the ability to love and accept yourself, warts and all, is the foundation on which everything is built, and without which it becomes more difficult to achieve and realise our potential.

As Lucille Ball so famously said:

"Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world."

Therefore to unlock and realise your true potential you need to start by loving yourself.

Five Steps to Loving Yourself

1. Acknowledge Your Self-Worth: Recognise that you have inherent value and deserve to be respected and loved. Remember you are remarkable!

2. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others: Focus on your unique qualities and strengths and accept yourself for who you are. You can’t compare your day 1 of a journey to someone else’s day 100!

3. Practice Self-Care: Take time to do things that make you feel good and make you feel happy.

4. Let Go of Negative Thoughts: Don't let negative thoughts and doubts control your self-esteem. Forgive yourself for past actions; you can’t change the past, but you can write your future.

5. Celebrate Your Achievements: Celebrate your successes, no matter how small, and take pride in your accomplishments.