Is Self-Love Difficult for You?
By Phil Rosenbalm
Many people do not realize how important it is to love themselves. There are many reasons why loving yourself is so important. One very basic reason is that you cannot love another person if you do not love yourself. If you don’t have an orange, how can you give one orange juice? You can’t. And it is the same with love. If you don’t have it for yourself, you can’t give it to another person.
Another reason it is so important to love yourself is for your mental health. People who love themselves have higher self-esteem. They have good health and tend to be happier. Loving yourself protects you against depression and anxiety. It creates balance and well-being. It is necessary for inner peace and positivity, and you believe you deserve to have your personal needs met. One of the most important reasons to love yourself is because you will then take better care of yourself.
What does it mean to love yourself? One definition of self-love is “the complete acceptance of who and what you are.” It is an appreciation of yourself. You consider yourself worthy and valuable and believe you deserve to be happy. As one author stated, “you become your number one fan.” You’ll take better care of your body and your well-being.
As an example, if you love yourself, you won’t want to harm yourself. If you are a smoker, you will do whatever it takes to quit smoking. If you are overweight, you will take the necessary steps to get to a healthy weight. And you certainly will not take drugs that are detrimental to your health. You will also take steps to get rid of unhealthy addictions such as alcohol or gambling, etc. You realize you deserve better than this.
Self-love helps you because you will not settle for unhealthy relationships and stand up for yourself if you are insulted or abused. Relationships with family and friends will improve. You more easily let go of hurts and are more willing to forgive others because you realize the lack of forgiveness is really hurting yourself.
Another benefit of loving yourself is that you realize you don’t have to be perfect, and you forgive yourself for the mistakes you have made. Also, you are more willing to take risks and step out of your comfort zone.
One author lists four benefits of loving yourself: 1) greater happiness, 2) stronger resistance, 3) increased motivation, and 4) better physical and mental health. As you can see, there are many good reasons to love yourself.
You may be wondering what you can do to increase your love for yourself. Some of the recommended ideas include the following. Don’t criticize yourself. We are often too hard on ourselves when we make a mistake. We need to stop doing this—practice self-care. Take better care of your needs. Get enough sleep, eat healthy foods, and eat reasonable portions. Maintain healthy relationships and associate with people who will support your success and happiness. Another important step to take is to have fun, even if you are by yourself. In addition, journaling can be helpful; it is a great way to track your successes and accomplishments. Dr. Jack Canfield has people make a list of 100 accomplishments they have achieved in their life. Also, practice gratitude. Look at all the good things you have in your life. You could even do a gratitude journal. And, finally, try something new. Dare to step out of your comfort zone and take up a new hobby or activity.
If you find loving yourself too difficult, you may have some deep-seated negative beliefs or negative programming that prevent you from having the life you deserve. If this is the case, hypnosis or therapy can be extremely valuable.
If you would like to find out more about hypnosis or experience a session, please call Phillip Rosenbaum at 248-688-6469. Hypnosis is an excellent tool to help you love yourself. 
