SELF LOVE

Ah, self love. The sometimes seemingly unobtainable act of accepting who you are and embracing every part of yourself. Though I can't really say I'm an expert in this area, because we're all works-in-progress, I do think it's important to remember that you're in control. It's the building blocks to being successful and happy in all areas of your life, and the more you work on it, the easier it becomes to welcome it into your life. I won't call them steps, as this isn't so much a how-to but more of a list of points, but here are five overall ideas to finding self love. 1) Don't rely on others for happiness We've all experienced FOMO or fear of missing out. Your friends are going out and you have an exam to study for, so you stay in. You missed an event that was all over Instagram. You may feel like there's a level of inclusivity somewhere that you can't seem to break into. Above all, you need to make your own happiness. Nobody is going to create it for you. People come and go throughout our lives, but you always have the power over how they make you feel. ​ 2) Don't see being alone as such a bad thing For all my fellow single ladies, sometimes it's hard to feel loved if there isn't someone saying it to you by your side. Having a significant other comes with the perk of not having to doubt how lovable you are. But before you can let someone show you that, you have to do it for yourself. Recognizing your best traits and learning to love the worst is something that takes a lot of practice and a lot of self-reflection. If you can break through that, then you won't need someone to be telling you how great you are. You'll already know. 3) Learn to be comfortable with yourself Being confident is crucial to self love. We all have our downfalls and things we're not so proud of, but learning to accept yourself for who you are is the first step to being comfortable in your own skin. Make yourself feel good and stay positive. Being okay with who you are is the first step to moving forward. If there's something you want to change, do it for yourself. Never feel pressured by anybody else to be anyone but your most authentic self. What you think of yourself is what's most important, and it should be someone you're proud of. 4) Do what you love and love what you do The key to keeping yourself happy is surrounding yourself with what you enjoy. Activities and routines in your everyday life are within your control and you can reach a happy medium between doing what you love and doing what's best for you. Aim high and shoot for success in whatever you love to do. Have an outlet for the stressful days, and have a game plan when it's time to get things done. Make time for friends, treat yourself, and remember what's really important at the end of the day. 5) Be a good kind of selfish Focusing on yourself can be seen as selfish, but at the end of the day, you only have yourself to hold accountable. Through school, career, personal life and everything in between, stay motivated and always remember what your goals are. Giving yourself time to reflect on these goals will help you moving in the right direction. Never feel guilty for being busy with things that will benefit you in the long run. If you're currently happy in what you're doing and it's going to lead to future happiness, don't stop. Keep on going. ​​