4 Reminders to Help You Practice Self-Love

Happy Valentine’s Day, friends ?

Yes, it’s a happy day. Feels like everyone on Instagram is sharing flowers, candies, their amazing outfits, their lovers and sweet gifts. Feels like it’s an exclusive club for people that got lucky. Anyone that mentions other forms of love is seen as bitter. As someone in a long-term relationship, I’m here to let you know that you’re not bitter. Even when you’re happy with someone else, you have to remember about love for YOURSELF. Even if all you have are friends, you can’t forget about YOURSELF. All love is celebrated on Valentine’s Day, but the important love today and for the rest of your days is love for YOURSELF.

Self-love is complicated. Our biggest critic is ourselves. The person that knows us the best is ourself. We’re the one that cares about ourself the most. We make the decisions for ourself at all times, and we are the one person always there for ourself.

It took me a long time to learn to love myself, but now that I do, I’m my biggest fan. I always think of ways to improve, and I try to embrace myself at all times. However, the one thing I seem to struggle with is accepting things about my appearance. It’s silly. I feel ugly over stupid lil pimples on my face lmao. I get sad when I can’t zip up my stupid Fashion Nova jeans when they were only made for Instagram baddies (direct quote from Reyna Noriega). I also feel insecure when my hair doesn’t reach my waist when in reality, I love short hair.

To deal with my qualms, I made a checklist for self-love. These are my mantras and processes for feeling like the fierce woman I am. I created it based on the order of my biggest insecurities. This is my V-day gift to you all!

1. Pimples are little reminders that you gotta slow your roll and chill out, you gotta eat better or die, or you have another bodily issue and they’re kindly telling you to get it checked out. Pimples aren’t evil; they’re just like the naggy TAs in class helping out your very busy body. Appreciate them before the semester ends!
2. Stop comparing yourself to other girls. It’s not healthy, and I should be rooting for them. They either got lucky with their genetics, afforded killer surgery or worked out hard for it. The human body is a vessel for your own life and maybe another life one day. Do your best to take care of it and slowly work towards reaching the ideal body you want.
3. Your hair crowns your lovey head full of knowledge and every other amazing thing in your mind. You don’t have to have curly hair if you don’t wanna; it’s a lot of work anyway and you’re busy conquering the world. Besides, your hair doesn’t define you; it’s dead lol. You control your destiny AND your hair!
4. The mirror mirror on the wall doesn’t have to remind you that you’re the fiercest of them all. Beat that lovey face of yours, rock your comfiest outfit and strut into the word as confidently as you can!!

I hope you enjoy the rest of your night!