Learning to love yourself can be a challenge if you've programmed your mind to be self-negative. You don't need to be narcissistic or egotistical to love yourself enough to consider your own personal needs and desires. If you care enough about yourself, you can refill your energy stores to engage in the many things required of you each day, according to Leslie Karen Lobell, M.A. You'll exude confidence and excel in more of your endeavors. Even Benjamin Franklin understood the need for self-love when he said, "He who falls in love with himself will have no rivals."
Listen to Others' Praises
If you struggle with self-love, you may need to ask others what they like about you, states C. Rainfield on Kalimunro.com. Sometimes it helps to hear what other people have to say about you before you understand your own value. Have your friends write down their thoughts so you can go over the list frequently. Whenever you feel down or become the target of criticism, pull out the list for a reminder.
List Your Own Attributes
It's your turn to list the things you love about yourself. Don't be modest and don't exaggerate. State these attributes as simple facts. If you have trouble coming up with attributes, think about what you like in others and ask yourself if you have those same traits. Repeat your list frequently to remind yourself of your personal value.
Learn to Appreciate Who You Are
Accept your imperfections and remind yourself of the positives, recommends Abundance Tapestry. Feel free to express your values and feelings. Look in the mirror and tell yourself how important you are, even with flaws.
Stop Criticizing Yourself
No matter how imperfect you are, stop criticizing yourself. Many people have programmed their minds with self-deprecation. Instead of criticizing your body, intelligence or skills, learn to push those negativisms out of your mind. This doesn't mean you shouldn't continue to try to improve. It just means that you shouldn't keep calling your flaws out to yourself and others, because those flaws don't define who you are. Don't forget to give yourself a pat on the back when you do things well.
Positive Attitude
Praise yourself everyday---if possible, while standing in front of a mirror. Positive affirmations will eventually improve your attitude about yourself. This in turn will affect how others think about you.
Don't Worry
Stop worrying about things that haven't happened yet. Instead, when problems do occur, do something about them. Taking action in a positive way will eventually take the place of worry. If whatever you're worried about is more than you can handle, take it to a person of higher authority, pray about it or let things work out on their own.
Trust
Learn to trust in your own abilities. You have opinions, talents, skills and value, so make decisions with confidence. After some success over time, your self-confidence will rise, and you'll feel good about yourself. When you're with others, feel free to express your opinions. Accept challenges as growth opportunities, recommends Cigna Behavioral Health.
Daily Exercises
Do things regularly that are specifically for you. Selfgrowth.com suggests you have more fun, find ways to relax, surround yourself by beauty, reward yourself in a daily basis and think peaceful thoughts.
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