Many women today face depression and low self-esteem. Others simply aren’t happy without a specific cause or explanation. Part of the reason for these negative feelings is a barrage of deceptive thoughts and emotions that plague brains and effectively trick women into a spiraling of self-doubt.
Learning to love yourself as you are will go a long way into stopping this vicious circle of trouble, negative thoughts, and problems.
Here are 13 ways to get out of the pit of despair and truly love yourself:
- Don’t Compare
One of the biggest problems most people, men or women, face today is comparing themselves to others. It seems we all need to see how we measure up according to society’s standards. Just stop. Run your own race and you’ll be happier.
- Stop Worrying What Others Think
A similar problem to comparing is caring what other people think about you or your opinions. This is a major problem on social media when a truckload of online bullies jump on board to tell you that you’re wrong, crazy, or something even worse. Your thoughts, ideas, and opinions are yours and are worth something. You are valuable regardless of what others say.
- Forgive Your Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. It could be a mistake in a decision, in judgment, or a mistake at the job. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Instead, learn from it and move on. You are a human and humans are going to mess up sometimes. That doesn’t make you less than anyone else.
- Attractiveness Doesn’t Equal Value
Today’s world has long put someone’s beauty as a valuable asset. True, good looks can be helpful as most studies show. Even so, you shouldn’t equate how you look to self-worth. God made everyone beautiful in their way and that includes you! You are worthy as a person simply because you were created regardless of any physical imperfections. Plus, remember all people have something about their body they don’t like!
- Let Go of Toxic People
Toxic people can drain you and make you feel less valuable than you truly are. That is a surefire reason to let them go and exit your life. This is a difficult challenge for some because these people have been a part of their lives for a long time. Don’t be afraid to let them go. It will liberate you.
- Understand Fears
Some things bother you. People often try to hide from those fears or deny them. This will make you more anxious and unhappy. Doing a bit of self analyzation on why you have these fears is a good thing. Understanding them is better. Understanding is the first step to overcoming.
- Trust Your Decisions
Some people are so afraid of making the wrong decision that they can’t make any at all. Others are dependent on others for decisions because they don’t want to risk making a mistake. This ties you to a co-dependent role that really keeps you locked into a type of boxed thinking. Learning to trust yourself to make decisions can free you because now you can expand and explore options not given to you before.
- Find Opportunities
Sometimes you need some adventure and that can be found in new opportunities. People sometimes overlook opportunities that come their way. Others take a lazy approach and wait for an opportunity to come by. The truth is you can create your own opportunities. That doesn’t mean taking out a loan for a new business. It does mean being aware of possibilities and looking for them. Even talking to someone in a grocery line can lead to an opportunity.
- See Yourself as a Priority
Women are often taught to be sacrificial. They are supposed to, by society’s standards, put husbands, kids, parents, others first. While there is value to self-sacrifice at times, there is also value in putting yourself as a priority also. You can’t just give to everyone without taking care of yourself. Your well will run dry fast. So take some time for yourself to do things that make you happy.
- Feel the Fullness of Every Emotion
Women have a range of emotions and are better than men, overall, at expressing them. Yet, many women try to avoid the unpleasant ones because they are hurt. There is value to feeling both pain and joy more fully. After all, you can’t appreciate joy unless you know the depth of pain.
- Be Bold
People have the freedom of speech and need to use it to bring about change. You don’t need permission to express an opinion, although you may need to exercise wisdom and tact to truly achieve results. Your voice is valuable and is just as worthy to be heard as anyone else’s.
- Appreciate the Simple Things
So many things in our lives go unnoticed. One day, you look up and the kids are grown. Don’t forget to notice all the little things in life that make it wonderful.
- Treat Yourself Kindly
Words have the power to speak life to yourself. Validate yourself. Actions can inspire you to do nice things for yourself. You should celebrate how far you’ve come and how much you’ve grown!
Putting these practices into your life will give you a sense of worthiness but will also empower you in ways you can’t imagine. It may be difficult to implement them all at once, but be patient and take your time. After a while, you will notice your attitude about yourself and life has changed without you trying at all.