10 Ways I Learned To Love Myself More

The beginning of my journey to self-love was bumpy. It wasn't just that I started out hating myself; I also had no idea how to start loving myself. But over time, as my life evolved and I gained more experience, things got easier. And today? Well, let's just say that I'm a lot happier than ever before! Here are some of the ways I learned along the way:

I stopped comparing myself to others.

Comparing yourself to other people is a waste of time, energy and emotional resources. It's a losing game because everyone has their own struggles and successes, and no one else will be able to live your life for you. Comparing yourself with others only sets up an impossible bar for you to reach—one that will ultimately make you feel bad about yourself when you inevitably fall short of that standard. Focus on what makes YOU great without focusing on what makes someone else great (or flawed).

I started to understand that my self-worth wasn't dependent on other people's opinions.

The first thing I did was to understand that my self-worth wasn't dependent on other people's opinions.

I know, it sounds like a cliche, but it really is true! Your own values are the only ones that matter in terms of your worth as a person. As long as you have confidence in yourself and believe in yourself and your abilities, regardless of what other people think about you or what they are saying about your work or appearance (or anything else), then you will be fine.

In order for this to work though, we have to learn how not to care about what others think of us at all times.

I learned that it was okay to put myself first.

• I stopped putting everyone else's needs before my own, and instead made sure I was doing what was best for me.

• When you're able to do this, you'll see a change in your mood and demeanor. You'll feel more confident and less stressed out.

I started journaling.

During my time at the treatment center, I learned to journal. It was one of the ways we could process our emotions and make sense of our experience. Journaling can help you get in touch with your feelings and think about things from different angles, which is good for mental health. You can also use it as a tool to see patterns or connections between things that may seem unrelated at first glance.

I know it sounds like an annoying thing to do—but trust me, once you start doing it consistently, it'll become a habit!

I embraced the fact that there are many sides to me.

In the past, I would often get frustrated at myself for not being able to stick with one thing. I was constantly changing my interests, and it wasn't until recently that I realized that this is actually a good thing. Instead of focusing on my inability to remain consistent in one thing, I began to appreciate the fact that there are many sides of me: I'm also a writer, a poet and an entrepreneur.

I stopped caring what others thought of me.

• Stop caring what others think. It's hard, but it's essential.

• You can't please everyone. Trying to do so will only make you unhappy and give people false impressions of who you really are.

• If someone likes your work, that's great! But if they don't, remember: their opinion is just one of many. Theirs aren't necessarily better or worse than anyone else’s—they're just theirs. Just like yours is yours (and may be different).

I gave up the pursuit of perfection.

If you're a perfectionist, you'll find it hard to love yourself because you have a ridiculously high standard for yourself. This is a form of self-sabotage.

Perfectionism is unrealistic and unattainable. It's an illusion that keeps us from seeing our own value and worth as human beings, which can lead to depression if left unaddressed.

If you want to learn how to love yourself more, let go of your pursuit of perfectionism!

I realized that being kind to yourself means saying "no" sometimes.

One of the biggest things I learned is that self-care is important, and it doesn't always mean saying "yes." Sometimes it means saying "no."

When I was younger, I felt like my self-worth was directly related to what other people thought of me. If someone asked me a question about myself or my life and gave me time to respond, I always wanted them to be impressed by what I had done or where I had been. But when someone asks if you want extra fries at dinner or wants your opinion on something personal, there's no pressure for them to be impressed with anything you say—and that can feel scary!

It took me a long time before I realized that sometimes saying "no" won't make anyone like me less; in fact, sometimes it might make them like me more! When I'm tired or stressed out from work/school/life and don't feel like doing something else (like going out), then being kind of boring can actually be really nice too!

I began giving myself credit for trying.

I began giving myself credit for trying.

This lesson was hard for me to learn, because I am a perfectionist who tends to overthink things. In my mind, there's a big difference between giving something your best and doing it well; if you do your best but fail, you've failed. But what about all those things in life where the only way to get better is by doing them? Would I have eventually gotten better at soccer if I'd quit after my first few games? Would I still be able to drive today if I had never learned how?

I've started applying this same logic to other areas of my life as well. While no one can do everything perfectly every time (and even when they can, there are always ways they could have done better), people should always give themselves credit for trying their hardest—even if that means failing miserably at first!

I forgave myself when mistakes were made.

I forgave myself when mistakes were made.

I’m not talking about the big stuff, like when I left my dog in the car for an hour and a half because it was too hot out, or accidentally burned some of my hair off while using a curling iron. Those are easy mistakes to forgive and forget; they only hurt us if we let them. I’m referring more to the little things—the moments when you realize that maybe you didn't say everything perfectly during a conversation with someone important to you, or maybe you weren't as thoughtful as possible in choosing words with which to reply to an email from your boss at work. These things do matter—but forgiving yourself for them is just as important as forgiving others for theirs!

Remember that mistakes teach us more than success does: The most successful people are often those who have learned from their failures before moving on with their lives. They've been through ups and downs, been crushed under pressure at times, but still managed to rise above it all by learning from their past experiences instead of letting them define who they are as individuals today (and tomorrow).

You can learn to love yourself more every day by taking small steps in that direction.

You can learn to love yourself more every day by taking small steps in that direction.

Learning to love yourself is a journey. You may not be able to do it perfectly, but you can make progress and feel more confident along the way. You also don't have control over what everyone else thinks of you, so don't waste your time trying!

I feel like it’s important to remember that self-love is a lifelong journey. It’s not something you can just accomplish overnight. But every day, if we make small strides in the right direction, we will be closer to loving ourselves for who we really are. And if you follow some or all of these tips, I hope they help you on your way!