Nurturing the Self: Exploring the Power of Self Love and Compassion
Self-love is a vast topic and has gained tremendous popularity over the past decade. While many of us consider self-love as an act of making ourselves materialistically happy, the concept is more about nourishing one’s self psychologically, physically, and spiritually.
Studies have shown that self-love and compassion are the keys to psychological well-being and mental health. People who are more aware of their needs and are compassionate about their struggles have higher resilience when faced with obstacles than those who are not in touch with themselves.
How do we define self-love if it is not buying expensive gifts, always putting yourself before everyone else, and only thinking about what works for you and is best for you?
Self-love is appreciating and supporting yourself through actions that will enhance your physical, psychological, and spiritual growth. It is about understanding your shortcomings and challenges and accepting them as a part of all your incredible strengths and the positive aspects of your personality. Seeing yourself as a whole person and not beating yourself up for your frailty or focusing on past mistakes.
"Most of the time, when we're being too hard on ourselves, we do it because we're driven by a desire to excel and do everything right all the time. This entails a lot of self-criticisms, and that persecutory inner voice that constantly tells us how we could've done things better is a hallmark of perfectionism"
The amount of pressure we put on ourselves to meet the benchmark we set for ourselves is tremendous. And it all leads to psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression and manifests into a physical ailment.
The Journey of Cultivating Self Love
Pay Attention to Your Inner Voice
Our words are powerful and manifest in reality. Observe closely how you speak to yourself. Do you criticize yourself when you make a mistake? Do you insult yourself? The tone of your internal voice while you are talking to yourself: It matters because when we scold ourselves, we take away our primary relationship or bond: our relationship with ourselves.
"Next time, if you stub your toe or make a clerical mistake, intentionally observe your inner critic and rephrase that negative internal criticism. Be compassionate towards yourself and think of your possible learnings from your experience."
Secondly, listening to your inner voice also means understanding your needs better. We live in a fast-paced world where ideas and concepts are constantly thrown at us, and for the most part, we don't even get time to process all that information. We must take a step back and reconnect to hear our voices to understand what resonates most with us. Meditation, journaling, coaching, and therapy are great tools to clarify your thoughts and inner voice.
Be Mindful
It may seem that we suggest mindfulness as a solution to most of the problems we face because it is the answer to many distresses. Self-love begins with becoming mindful of your thoughts, feelings, and actions. We spend so much time criticizing ourselves without realizing the damage we are doing to ourselves.
Another aspect of that is when you are mindful, you make decisions and take actions from a self-centered perspective rather than being influenced by your environment and people around you. Your efforts align with your core values and resonate with your vision instead of what others want you to conform to.
Value Yourself
By now, you must know the kind of life you want to live and who you are in the process of becoming. This also means to surround yourself with the right people and energy to help you flourish in your life and vice versa. Protect and value yourself; eliminate those who do not meet you at your level or at the level you want to be at. Some people uplift your spirit and support your dreams; and others drain your energy. Understand the difference between the two. We often give in to peer or family pressure, but when you start to love yourself, you choose better for yourself, set better boundaries, and preserve your energy.
"Valuing yourself also means choosing better relationships and not making excuses for someone else's bad behavior. Seeing yourself as a whole person, understanding your needs, and not accepting an undeserving behavior just so you can keep a relationship alive."
Be Intentional
If you are intentional about being self-compassionate and loving yourself, your intention will flow into your actions and how you design your life. You will engage in acts that support a healthy body and mind and refuse anything that doesn't beneficially serve you.
If you intend to lower your blood pressure or become physically healthy, you won't order a KFC meal every few days.
"If you intend to feel emotionally fulfilled and have a sharp mind, you won't abuse your body with excessive alcohol and drugs.
When you start to choose better for yourself, the better you will attract in your life. Better circumstances and people that support your well-being and your journey."
The outer world is a reflection of your inner world.
If you are a HerMeNow participant or alumni, book your free coaching session now through the HerMeNow website https://www.hermenow.com/wellness.
 | Anam Anjum Wellness Consultant +971 52 629 9656 anam@hermenow.com almawellbeing.com |