What it Means to Truly Love Yourself

Just love yourself! A phrase we hear so often yet it’s so hard to fully understand.

And I don’t mean hard to understand because we don’t know what it means. Rather, because few of us have actually experienced it.

Not long ago I was rewatching Rachel Hollis’ Made for More documentary. Side note: highly recommend watching if you get the chance. 

Not to spoil everything but during her Rise weekend she asked an audience of hundreds of women to do a ‘stand up for her,’ meaning to stand up for the other women in the room. 

When she got to the last question, ‘I hate how I look,’ basically every single woman in that audience got up.

I’m not gonna lie, I’ve watched that documentary a few times and cried every single time. 

It’s so sad that so many women, myself included, do not know what it means to love yourself. To respect yourself, to accept yourself, and to appreciate everything that makes you unique.

For that reason, I’m sharing some things I’ve learned over time about what it means to truly love yourself.

Forgive yourself

Although I’m writing this post, I should preface it by saying I by no means believe I’ve reached a point of genuinely loving myself. However, I am getting there day by day.

One of the first things I had to learn about self-love is to forgive yourself.

We are our own worst critics and we say things to ourselves that are truly hurtful. The best advice I’ve ever received is to talk to yourself like you’d talk to your best friend.

The first thing I ever did was forgive myself for all the things I’ve put my body through and for all the negative self-talk.

Only then was I able to accept myself a little bit more and understand that I am human and need to let go of my need for perfection.

Be patient with yourself

Along the same lines of forgiveness is patience.

Knowing that everything will come at the right time and all your hard work will pay off.

Be patient with yourself. Understand that you’ll have some amazing days and some not-so-amazing days. 

But that is all okay. Life is not about perfection, it’s about embracing every step of the journey.

Words of affirmation

A great way to show yourself some love is by actually telling that to yourself.

Don’t be afraid to look in front of the mirror and say ‘I love you’ to the reflection. 

Words are really powerful and the more you tell yourself you love who you are, the more you’ll start to believe it. 

I know it may feel weird at the beginning, but soon enough it’ll become a great habit.

Never stop growing

Even people who genuinely love themselves are constantly evolving.

Not because they don’t like who they are, but because they embrace every challenge life throws their way and continue to grow.

Evolving, growing, and taking on challenges head on boost your confidence.

Plus, people who remain the same tend to be unhappier with their lives. 

As humans we fear change but we also crave it. 

I personally believe it’s not fear of change it’s just the process of going through with it. But I know deep down we all want something better for ourselves.

So take a challenge and keep growing, your mind and soul need it.

Enjoy your own company

Learn to be completely okay and happy on your own.

I mean take yourself out to dinner, lunch, brunch, on a walk, or whatever you enjoy. But learn to do it on your own. 

Enjoying your own company is the best way to show yourself some love. 

You should be your own best friend and should love hanging out with yourself. 

So take yourself out every now and then and just spend some time enjoying your own company. 

The right fuel to love yourself

Some people see eating healthy as a punishment. 

However, eating healthy is actually a gift to your body.

You’ve probably heard that your body is your temple and that is very true. 

Your body houses your soul and being and it needs the proper nutrition to function at its best.

Food is not a way to cope; it’s definitely not an escape but rather the fuel to keep you going.

Incorporating clean foods into your every day diet will help you perform day-to-day duties with more energy and joy. 

At the end of the day loving yourself means being completely comfortable with who you are.

It means accepting everything that makes you you while constantly evolving and giving yourself room to grow.

It’s not an easy task and most people spend a great portion of their lives trying to learn how to love themselves. 

However, once you learn to love every inch of yourself you will be unstoppable! And for that I hope you find the courage to love yourself.