How to create a long-lasting loving relationship with YOURSELF

Improve the relationship with yourself, with these proven tips!

The relationship that you have with yourself is arguably the most important relationship you'll ever have in life. You spend every single second of the day with yourself, so you might as well make it a good experience! Additionally, the relationship you have with yourself greatly determines the way you experience life, your level of happiness, the relationships you build with others, and your general outlook on life.

There is an almost unlimited amount of articles, books and all sorts of content that help us build healthy relationships with partners, friends, colleagues and family members. While these external relationships are very important, we don't hear nearly as much about the most important relationship in our lives - the relationship we have with ourselves.

Here are proven ways to improve your relationship with yourself, increase healthy self-love and strengthen your confidence! As a result, watch how your relationships improve and all the other aspects of your life.

Caring for your basic needs

While this may seem trivial, you'd be surprised how much your sleep patterns, lifestyle, diet, etc. all affect your quality of life and also impact the chemicals in your brain that are in charge of mood. Getting enough sleep, drinking sufficient water, eating the right nutrients and exercising should not be put on the back burner.

Simply consider yourself each and every day. Not to say that you should put yourself first, but rather that you should make your needs a priority, too! As you would water your plants or make sure your children are looked after, you should be making sure that your needs are also met.

As they say before taking off in an airplane, put on your oxygen mask before putting it on anyone else, even a child.

Be your own best friend

This is probably one of the most fun and rewarding parts of creating a strong relationship with yourself. Becoming your own best friend essentially means that you are guaranteed a fun, exciting time wherever you go, because you truly enjoy your own company. You don't need anybody else in order to have a fun time (although good friends are also great fun to have around),

So how do you become your own best friend? It's really as simple as thinking about how you build a relationship with your other friends. Make time for yourself, take yourself on adventures and outings, spoil yourself, be silly with yourself, appreciate yourself and really get to know yourself! Go on a weekly date with yourself and you just might be surprised that you will start looking forward to the time spend with yourself, and during these times you will learn more about who you are as a person.

Introspection

Being aware of your internal processes and becoming self-aware is a golden ticket to establishing a powerful relationship with yourself. Think about it.. if you don't understand your romantic partner and have no clue how their mind and emotions work, the relationship is ultimately doomed. It helps to think of your relationship with yourself in the same lines as the relationships you have with others.

Pay attention to your feelings and thoughts. Keeping a journal helps you put everything down on paper, which many people find healing. Others find healing from therapy. Everybody is different, which is why it's so important to know what works for you and doesn't.

Use your mornings wisely

There's a well-known book called The 5AM Club written by Robin Sharma. The author created a 3 step morning routine to help successful people accomplish their goals, maximize productivity, lower stress and elevate happiness. Sharma calls 5am the “magic hour”, but you can also apply the 3 steps to your preferred wake up time, even if that's at 9am in the morning.

Time is so precious and we often struggle to find time for ourselves amongst work, school, kids, friends, etc. Taking even just a few moments out of your day before everyone else wakes up helps you live with intention and makes a huge impact on your mental health and physical health.

Here's the formula to The 5AM Club:

The morning routine is split into three twenty-minute steps. The first 20 minutes is spent on physical movement, whether that's stretching, running, dancing, swimming, walking, or whatever works for you.

The next 20 minutes is spent on reflecting inward and connecting to what’s most important to you. Some people choose to pray or meditate, while others choose to journal or create a vision board.

The last 20 minutes is for learning and developing your skills. You can watch an educational YouTube video, do research on a particular topic, read a book or do some studying. It's up to you!

Meditate

Meditation is a time to be totally present with yourself and only yourself. The practice of meditation helps us clear clutter and noise from our minds, and sit with our core selves. Regularly practicing meditation boosts our self-acceptance and inner peace, which in turn can make us feel better about our lives and ourselves.

There are many guided meditations you can find on YouTube or meditation apps that focus on reinforcing self-love and acceptance. These meditations help you connect with your heart and compassion, which can carry you through even the most stressful of times.

Tip: Reinforce your meditation by creating a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. Burn some pure essential oils and play relaxing music or listen to a guided meditation. Try block out sunlight, turn off the lights and burn some scented candles.

Daily affirmations

Often, we take things for granted without realising how fortunate we actually are. We spend so much time focusing on what we wish we had or what we lack, that it can send us in a spiral of self-doubt and sometimes even self-loathing. A great way to realise how much we have to be thankful for is writing down daily affirmations. 

Whether it's daily or only once a week, sit down and write down 5 things that you can be grateful for. Even the smallest things count. Taking note of the things that bring us joy, or our accomplishments, or our blessings help you feel happier with yourself and your life.

You can also say positive affirmations in the mirror. It might feel a little weird at first, but by reinforcing love and gratitude on a regular basis, you will eventually start to believe them! 

Nourish your body

Multiple studies have found a correlation between a healthy diet and brain function and mood. Psychologists have also noted that 'bad' diets can increase your chances of anxiety, depression and other mood disorders.

Eating a nutritious diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables can potentially improve your mental health and well-being. This is important because you can't have a healthy relationship with yourself while you're always feeling lethargic, irritable and moody. 

Tip: Because the quality of food has taken a dip due to pollution, methods of farming and mass production, we don't always get the sufficient amount of nutrients our bodies need. Introduce daily supplements to help you maintain health and vitality!

Don't be afraid to say 'no'

Many people find themselves wanting to please others and often agree to things that they don't necessarily want to do. We feel obliged to accommodate others and can end up feeling drained or undervalued. While it's great if you like helping others, it should never come at a cost and you shouldn't feel pressured into it. If helping others comes at a cost to your health or happiness, don't be afraid to say no. Your friends and family should understand and support your priorities.

If you have any question, please contact us or leave a comment below for FREE health advice. We always love hearing from you!