love yourself …

“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” (Oscar Wilde)

The approach to love oneself seems to be pretty selfish at first sight. Shouldn’t we care about others more instead of living out a self-centered kind of love? Quite the contrary! Because only those who love themselves are able to give love to others. Don’t believe it? Let us convince you!

Healthy egoism: me time

In our hectic everyday business, resting phases are rare. The result is an unhealthy nutrition and an overload because of stress. E-mails are answered as soon as possible, appointments are never cancelled and family always comes first – that consumes a lot of substance and reserves over time. If you don’t take timeouts for yourself, you will use up your energy and nothing is left for others.

But how can we get out of the enervating spiral of bad habits? The solution is easy: get some me time. We have to consciously take a break, just for ourselves.

Why we should be good to ourselves

Little timeouts help to put the focus back on our needs and to perceive oneself. Salad or sushi? Cinema or theatre? A walk in the woods or a shopping tour? Those who consciously decide on their own get to know themselves better – with all strengths and weaknesses. And that helps to love and accept ourselves as we are.

Self-love doesn’t mean that you should stop working on yourself. Acceptance is the first step, change is the second. To break with old patterns, it takes a look at oneself and listen to what lies within. The happier you are the more open you get for others.

This is why thinking about ourselves more can actually enhance our ability to care about others. What else do we need for a perfect Valentine’s Day?