What is Self-Love?

Self-love is the practice of caring for your own wellbeing and happiness. To get a sense of what it feels like, close your eyes and picture someone you care for very much. Notice how you feel. Now, direct those feelings toward yourself – that’s self-love!  

What self-love is not:  

• A destination 
• Self-confidence  
• Arrogance 
• Dependent on what others think of you 

What self-love is:  

• A lifelong process 
• Important for everyone 
• Part of mental wellness 
• Maintained with action and effort 

How do I know that my self-love needs some attention? 

• Feeling depleted 
• Experiencing mental or physical tension 
• Overall decline in mental health 
• Frequent self-critical thoughts 
• A tendency to make self-defeating statements 

Self-love takes time, care, and continual practice. Don’t worry if it feels like there’s a lot of work to do. With one step at a time, you’ve got this.  

Check out The Mental Health Coalition’s Resource Library for additional information related to cultivating mental wellness or visit: http://thementalhealthcoalition.org/resources/.