It’s time we ditch the ‘new year, new you’ mantra. This undue pressure we put on ourselves at the start of each year to live up to our ‘last moment-made’ resolutions can be taxing. One cannot simply reinvent oneself as the clock strikes 12 and the calendar flips to a new year. This fixation must stop as it can be quite discouraging and defeats the purpose - it's almost overlooking one’s current growth, abilities, experiences and achievements. Each year teaches us something new, we gather new experiences and old, and these become the foundation upon which we build and grow further.
So, instead of aiming at a complete overhaul, why not shift your perspective and appreciate this person you have evolved to become. Make it all about yourself this year - and every other year that follows!
Self-love Can Be Tricky
And it can be strange too in the beginning! We come across several social media posts and stories talking about and debating the idea of self-love. One cannot love each and every aspect of themselves, but identifying and accepting one’s flaws and shortcomings, and owning upto it as a part of their identity, is a brave move.
Self-validate Your Feelings
Care less about what people think of you. Yes, this is easier said than done. However, knowing your worth and having confidence in your strengths will prevent other people’s opinions from wearing you down or undermining your self-worth. You need to understand the difference between constructive feedback, which helps you work on yourself better, and trivial degradations which are not worth a dime.
Enjoy Your Own Company
This can be an eye-opening journey for each individual. You may surprise yourself when left in your own company. In the beginning, you may not know how to spend that time, but the best way to break the ice is to make short journeys around the city, explore local bookshops, visit a café, go for a movie or pursue any other activity that you wouldn’t have earlier done without company.
Prioritising self-love may come across as arrogant or narcissistic. It’s not, though. The idea isn’t to think of oneself as superior to others or to accept aspects of oneself that actually need to be worked on. It’s all about creating a loving and wholesome connection with the person who matters most...you!
Sadly, self-love is not something that we are taught from a young age. Furthermore, we lose sight of our basic needs and instead get preoccupied with what other people think of us.