Self-Love People Do These Ten Things Differently

loving people

Cultivating self-love involves coming to recognize your value and habitually treating yourself with respect. Here are ten behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes that self-loving people have in common.

If you work to incorporate each of these things into your life, you will become increasingly peaceful, joyful, and optimistic.

1. They experience and process their feelings.

Instead of repressing complicated feelings or unreflectively allowing strong feelings to control actions, self-loving people pay careful attention to their emotions. Each new sense is accepted and examined, and this willingness to conduct emotional exploration increases self-knowledge.

The next time you experience sadness, anger, or another painful feeling, ask yourself exactly why you’re feeling this way and try to figure out what your emotional reaction can teach you about your needs.

2. They treat their bodies with respect.

Self-loving people don’t constantly cram their bodies full of unhealthy foods or deliberately live a sedentary life that heightens disease risk. However, nor do self-loving people starve themselves or exercise so hard that they have no energy left for living.

The trick is to find a balance; you should aim to preserve and enhance your body’s well-being through a healthy diet and exercise, but banning all treats is an unnecessary form of punishment.

3. They know when they need to prioritize themselves.

If you think about some of the most self-loving people you know, you’ll probably realize that they tend to be compassionate and loving. Nevertheless, cultivating self-love also means knowing when to say “no.” Monitor your physical and emotional state and know when it is time to take a step back to rest and recuperate.

Don’t feel guilty about taking care of yourself, as you are just as important as everyone else.

4. They know how to enjoy their own company.

Those who dislike themselves often can’t stand alone, surrounding themselves with others to help block out negative thoughts and feelings. Self-loving people value their own company and know how to enjoy themselves when they are alone.

They use this time to reflect, dream and nurture themselves with activities like journal writing or meditation. Find things you enjoy doing on your own, and make these things a crucial part of your week.

5. They accept their authentic selves.

Instead of wishing they looked like someone else, had different talents, or could excise parts of their personality, self-loving people offer themselves unconditional positive regard. Try to accept your true nature and acknowledge that everyone has room for personal development.

It is possible to both love yourself as you are and aspire to be better if you can recognize that your value does not depend on changing.

6. They see themselves as responsible for their fates.

Unhappy people often view themselves as being at the whims of others, believing that they are helpless to get what they want. In contrast, self-loving people take responsibility for their lives and reactions, habitually avoiding a negative cycle of blaming or resentment.

When you realize something you want from life, start figuring out how you will get it instead of dwelling on who you should blame for the fact that you have not already met your objective.

7. They demonstrate positive relationships.

Self-loving people encourage similarly productive behaviors in others by demonstrating how good relationships function. For example, such people offer compassion, engage in mutually respectful interactions, and believe they deserve to be treated well.

Part of loving yourself also involves holding personal boundaries and severing toxic relationships that are draining your resources. Self-preservation can be a crucial part of self-love.

8. They make their passions a core part of life.

When you value yourself, you recognize the worth of your passions and work to make them a central component of your life. Self-loving people make time for their hobbies and don’t let the fear of inadequacy hold them back from learning new skills.

Life’s responsibilities can be hugely demanding, but if you can make even a little time for one of your passions each day, then you’re nurturing yourself in a way that promotes self-love.

9. They believe they can succeed.

When you believe that you can reach your goals, you acknowledge that you deserve to have the things you want. Further, studies have repeatedly shown that positive thinking actively promotes happiness and achievement. As such, self-love and positivity go hand in hand, making self-loving people more likely to reach their goals.

10. They are not perfectionists.

Finally, it’s important to note that believing you are worthy of happiness and success does not mean having unrealistic expectations. Holding yourself to painfully high standards inevitably leads to a sense of disappointment, so expect yourself to be “good enough” rather than perfect.

Self-loving people understand that life is never perfect and that challenges are an opportunity for growth rather than a sign of failure.