Mark Twain once said, “A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.” At a time when there’s a ton of negativity everywhere – be it on social media platforms or within our own social circles, one cannot depend on the approval and affection of others. It is imperative to love yourself in the face of all the negativity and criticism.

Here’s how you can start a life long romance with yourself that will ensure the maintenance of a certain amount of sanity and peace in your life:

Depend on no one but yourself

Depend on yourself and take pride in all that you get done. Independence is liberating and empowering. It is essential to learn how to be self sufficient to allow yourself a certain degree of freedom.

Take time out for introspection

At a time when you’re busy with your own hectic schedule, it is imperative to take out some time to reflect on your decisions and thoughts in general. You should be able to see if you’re happy with where you are and how you can make things better.

Be kind to yourself in order to love yourself

We tend to be overly critical of ourselves. Give yourself compliments. Commend yourself on stuff you get done. Block out any negative thought that makes its way into your mind. Look at yourself from the eyes of people who love and appreciate you. See what they see and appreciate all that should be appreciated.

Don’t compare yourself to others

Even though we’ve been conditioned to believe that we’re in a race against others, we must remember that none of us have the same skill set and capabilities. We’re meant to be different and our abilities shine through in different spheres of life. Comparing your success and happiness with that of other people isn’t productive in the least.

Acknowledge your flaws and try to work on fixing them

Everyone has flaws, and that’s okay. There’s no point in being bogged down by those flaws. Try to work on them instead of focusing too much on how they’re holding you back as a person. Moreover, while working on them, try to remember that any form of progress is progress nonetheless.

Don’t set unrealistic standards

If you set unrealistic standards, you’re basically setting yourself up for failure. Therefore, you must plan things out in a manageable way so that you don’t lag behind and feel worse about the pace of things.

Jot down your accomplishments

Take pride in all that you’ve accomplished. Acknowledge the time and effort you’re putting in and pat yourself on the back if you’ve given something your all, regardless of how it turns out.

Be comfortable being alone

Sometimes, solitude can be a blessing. It gives you more time to reflect and focus on yourself and allows you a certain time period to work through any emotional, physical or mental stress. Learn to feel empowered when you’re by yourself.

Look after yourself like you would look after someone you love

Treat yourself like you would treat someone you hold dear. Would you be as overly critical with someone else as you are with yourself? We tend to be too hard with ourselves. Perhaps, if we loved ourselves the way we love those around us, we would be in a better place mentally.

Be your own strength 

If there’s no one else in your corner, make sure you have your own back. When all else fails, you’re own biggest strength. Love yourself by standing up for yourself.

Treat yo’self 

From time to time, pamper and spoil yourself like you would a loved one. Allow yourself to indulge in whatever it is that makes you happy.

“To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance,” Oscar Wilde once stated. And rightfully so, for not only is self love important to keep your strength and sanity intact, it is imperative for the maintenance of your mental and physical well being as well. And honestly, love yourself because why wait for someone else to? You are and always will be more than enough.

Cover image via: viccozae / YouTube