By Hadassa Ferreira, Contributing Writer
During the month of love, everybody is celebrating their love for others. But it is important to always celebrate the love you have for the most important person in your life.
This person will never leave you and will be with you all the days of your life forever. This person is you. Working on your self-love might be difficult and it might take some extra time. Because of that, here is a list of some practices that you can partake in order to increase your self-love.
One of the main practices that can lead to better acts of self-love is making peace with our bodies. Physical comparison has led a lot of people to hate themselves and to be ashamed of who they are. For this reason, a good practice is to go to the mirror and look at your reflection and meet the skin that holds your soul. Therapy can also help to diminish your insecurities and make peace with the body that sustains you.
“Being 100 percent honest, to increase my self-love I go to therapy,” said Marlen Tiscareno, a senior student who majors in history. Taking care of our mental and physical health is lifesaving and an act of self-love.
Be at peace with your company. You are the one who is going to accompany yourself 100% of the time. Thus, find a way to connect with your deepest feelings and thoughts. From the most pleasurable ones to the scariest ones. Meditate on who you are and the things that move you. Learn how to be in your lone presence without external noise. Do not live a life trying to silence your uncomfortable thoughts. Unlike that, try to find solutions for them. Do not feel afraid of your personality, instead, realize that you are unique and feel grateful for that.
Finally, separate moments to enjoy doing your favorite hobbies. What do you like to do the most? What makes you feel alive? Make sure that some of those answers do not involve another person. Make sure these are things you like only because of you, and nobody else.
“Something I do to take care of my self-love is doing things I like,” said Jasmine Kelly, a freshman who majors in international studies and history. “I take time to ride on my long board [and]I take time to completely disengage from all technology and just read a book.”
Enjoying the things you love is respecting your feelings and, of course, it is one of the most important self-love practices. By doing these things, you can start to feel more self-love.
