What can anger do to us?
“Like anyone else, I too have anger in me. However, I try to recall that anger is a destructive emotion. I remind myself that scientists now say that anger is ba…d for our health; it eats into our immune system. So, anger destroys our peace of mind and our physical health. We shouldn’t welcome it or think of it as natural or as a friend.” Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
So often in our world the emphasises is on achievements. Loving yourself can feel like a radical act. Yet, self-love is the cornerstone of mental well-being and personal growth. But,
How do you love yourself?
For me, the key things to embrace are;
The very first step in loving yourself is to acknowledge your value. It is not about your successes or failures but more about your inherent worth. Reflect on your strengths and weaknesses no matter how small you feel they may be. Sometimes being that person in the family who notices when someone needs a helping hand has enormous worth.
Don’t underate yourself.
Practicing self-care is about taking care of your physical, emotional, and mental health. Most of this is simple and basic such as ensuring you get enough sleep, eat nutritious food, and engage in regular physical activity.
Prioritise activities that bring you joy and relaxation.
Examples might include reading, gardening and spending time with those you love.
Loving yourself means respecting your own limits so you need to define your boundaries and hold them. Learn to say no to things that drain your energy or compromise your values. Surround yourself with people who uplift and support you. Setting healthy boundaries protects your well-being and fosters better relationships.
No-one is perfect. We all have imperfections so rather than berate yourself, accept that making mistakes is a natural part of life. When you make a mistake be kind to yourself as you would for a friend. Do remember….
It is alright to be work in progress.
There are things you can do to help you with self-love such as,
These approaches to living your life help you to love yourself more easily.
Mindfulness helps you to feel your emotions and let them go, not to judge yourself and gives you strategies such as deep breathes to help you manage yourself. This will help you to increase your self-awareness and reduce stress.
Negative self-talk can seriously affect your self-esteem. Try to replace it with positive supportive messages. What would you say to a dear friend who is struggling? Say this to yourself. Overtime this wonderful inner kind person can help to transform your life.
You are a wonderful person so embrace what makes you unique. It is those things that make you who you are. Don’t compare yourself to others.
Your journey is yours alone and you get to decide the pace at which you want to go.
Holding onto past mistakes or regrets can hinder your ability to love yourself fully. Be kind to yourself;
Forgive your mistakes, learn and move forwards.
If all of this becomes overwhelming, know it’s alright to seek help whether it is from trusted and loving family, a friend or a professional. Talking is so good to help you gain perspective on your life, strengthen your self-love and to decide how to move forwards.
Loving yourself is a lifelong journey, not a destination.
Be patience, practice, and be persistent. You can cultivate a deeper sense of self-compassion. Know you are deserving of love, kindness, and respect—especially from yourself.
On the whole, other people are not very interested in what you do. Yet naturally humans are tribal. They feel happier and safer living in groups, be it family or a community.
Are you or any of your loved ones lonely?
With population movement becoming common for career opportunities and to find affordable housing, family groups are becoming scattered.
People are becoming more dependent on community or good neighbours.
It takes time and effort for a community to form and grow. Community is not only your local area but can embrace groups of likeminded people such as an interest in yoga, football, history and many other interests.
Since the pandemic volunteering has dropped by 7%.
Volunteers are often the backbone of charities and not-for-profit organisations. Yet volunteering is also beneficial to the volunteers who feel more life satisfaction. It is also an opportunity to connect with other people and feel you are making a contribution. There is no upper age limit to volunteering.
An epidemic of loneliness has generated the misguided idea that romantic love is the only solution to loneliness.
Loneliness is generated by insufficient social contact and there are many other solutions than a romantic partner. Yet I know how painful loneliness can be. Unexpectedly widowed in my 40s, I fell out of the married club. Dinner parties and outings with three can be awkward and often don’t work. As a widow, I had to find myself again and seek out communities that I could comfortably find a place in.
Remember there are many solutions to loneliness.
Smart people struggle with loneliness like all of us.
In my experience, I have seen smart young people throw so much of their energy and time into their careers that there is little left for their social life. The individual finds the invites to gatherings fall away leaving them isolated.
Of course, many of us have made mistakes in managing our own well-being and ensuring sufficient human contact each day. Recognising it is the first step to fixing it.
Loneliness can hit us at any age.
Loneliness often happens when change occurs in our lives. This can include a change in school, going to university, leaving home for the first time, new job, becoming a stay at home parent, move of home, retirement and old age.
None of us are immune to loneliness
Each of us needs to take ownership of ensuring we have friends, neighbours, community members or family to chat to.
Each of us can also consciously help someone who is lonely to feel less alone. A chat with a stranger in the street might be the only conversation they have that day. It is amazing what a smile and a friendly comment can do to break the ice. It is surprisingly powerful.
Becoming a great listener is an amazing contribution to the wellbeing of humanity
When I was growing up, my mum always used to say to me;
People value you at what you value yourself.
At the time I don’t think I truly understood what she meant. But having lived more and experienced other people, I feel there is some truth in what she said.
Ask yourself these questions;
If you value yourself in your interactions with others, you are able to feel and speak honestly, know your needs and be able to take actions to satisfy them.
Expressing your views and emotions
Of course it goes without saying, that in sharing your views and emotions it should be with kindness, love and sensitivity to others. If you did it in a way that hurt others or was vulgar and included a lot of swearing, you are not honouring yourself. You may come to regret it. However, being able to speak your truth is very important to feeling a sense of freedom. It should not be ignored and if not done, can make your throat chakra feel uncomfortable and even blocked.
Taking action on how you truly feel
Are you living your own life or one that somebody else wants you to live?
Sometimes fear of doing or saying the wrong thing can stop you from doing what you want to do. This is not about recklessly doing mad things, but rather doing, in a considered way, what feels right for you. You are the most important person in your life. It is right you should get to make the choices for you in your life. Afterall the choices you make today, brings the life you experience tomorrow.
Do you give yourself time and space in your life?
No-one can ‘Go, Go, Go’ all of the time. You need time to pause and reflect on what is going on in your life. Are you leading the life you want? If not, how can you make a course correction to improve it. This pause and reflection take time and space. You may also want time and space to pursue your own interests such as reading or researching a topic that interests you or attend a class, meet a friend. We all need time to just enjoy life.
Life is for living and enjoying.
Looking after your own mental health
Each of us are responsible for the life we lead. Your values, choices and actions lead to the life you experience. Even in the direst of situations, you get to choose how you react to it.
I really admire Viktor Frankl. He expressed in his book, Mans Search for Meaning, how he chose, as an inmate of the extermination camps of World War II, to continue to feel hope for a better life in the future. This single feeling of hope helped him to survive and go on to life a good life. Listening to the negative, angry voice inside would have weakened him. So, he chose to counter it with hope.
How do you value yourself and your life?