Self-love is a feeling of unconditional positive regard for oneself, independent of external validation. The knowledge that we should be accepted for who we are, flaws and all, brings a sense of calm and liberation. When you love yourself, you accept yourself, believe in yourself, and respect yourself. True happiness and fulfillment come from accepting and loving oneself no matter what life throws at us.
There are many benefits to practicing self-love, including improvements to one's mood, physical well-being, social life, professional output, and more. So, I thought I'd discuss eight unexpected advantages of self-love today.
How More Self-Love Translates Into More Productivity
Having faith in yourself and hope for the best will help you succeed professionally. Self-love, then, is an excellent strategy for enhancing fulfillment and joy. Neuroscientists say that "you're more likely to enjoy well-being and success when you give yourself occasional doses of self-compassion."
The key to your own happiness and the success of your business is to learn to love yourself. Taking better care of yourself will increase your confidence in who you are and what you can accomplish. Why? Because when you love yourself, you experience less stress, more productivity, more creativity, better judgment, and more vitality.
Barriers to Self-Love
Negative thoughts about yourself might act as invisible roadblocks to success in your professional life. We've been made to believe that putting others before ourselves is admirable and that loving oneself is egocentric or even trite. The critical, self-centered, stupid, or inept inner voice that most successful people have is known as their "kick butt." Never ceasing to occupy more of your mind space, it drowns out the voice that reminds you of your true potential.
Habits to Increase Self-Love and Productivity
- Allow Yourself Some Time to Reflect on How You’re Feeling
Develop a routine of allowing yourself to experience and communicate your feelings rather than numbing yourself or ignoring them. If you feel safe expressing or working through whatever is coming up, do so. We can feel lighter and get back to the work at hand if we can find a way to move through our emotions. Doing things like working out, meditating, keeping a journal, talking to a trusted friend or family member, consulting a mental health professional, or even screaming into a pillow.
- Pay Attention to Your Internal Dialogue
You should also halt when you become aware of any negative self-talk. Sometimes we forget how amazing we are and find all the things about ourselves that just don't measure up the way we thought they would.
Make a list of the things you like about yourself when you're in a good mood. If you're feeling down, here's a list of positive things to remind yourself of. Another piece of advice for those who are having trouble with their body image is to stop trying to push themselves to feel good about their bodies and instead focus on the positive aspects of their lives. Identifying and appreciating your best qualities outside of work can help you feel better about your work.
- Practice Self-Care Outside of Work
There is no separation between self-care and self-love. Furthermore, self-care is something you get to define for yourself. You can remind yourself that you deserve to take a break and appreciate yourself by engaging in self-care activities outside of work. As the day progresses, you'll have an easier time recalling that information. Taking better care of yourself will have a noticeable impact on how you feel about yourself and your career.
- Try Some Positive Self-Talk
Creating affirmations that begin with "I am" can be quite helpful in times when it is more difficult to love oneself. Saying to yourself positive affirmations like "I am resilient," "I am thoughtful," and "I am organized" will help you break the habit of being so critical of yourself. To drive the point home, try visualizing a time when you experienced such emotions for real.
- Keep In Mind That Loving Oneself Can Seem Strange at First
Self-love may seem strange at first, so keep that in mind. This is typical. No matter what other people are doing or how you're used to taking care of yourself, just keep coming up.
It's important to keep in mind that we've all been conditioned to be critical of ourselves, but that this doesn't have to be your default frame of mind. Despite social pressures, you have the power to start loving yourself.
When you take the time to nurture yourself, you open the door to greater productivity and the opportunity to produce work of which you can be truly proud.