Whitney Houston sang that learning to love yourself is the "greatest love of all." It can also be the hardest. Sometimes, it's tough being in your own skin. But you can learn to love who you are, just as you are. Here are some tips.
1. Meditation and prayer are wonderful ways to get inside your own mind and learn to love it. When you meditate, y ou are spending time alone while being quiet. Meditation helps you learn about your inner self.
2. And speaking of spending time alone, do so! Even if you are not meditating, take some time just to be by yourself. Plan a day with yourself as you would a good friend.
3. Writing in a journal is a good way to spend your alone time. Put your own thoughts and feelings onto paper. Read them each day. You may find yourself pleased with your insights. You will certainly get to know yourself this way.
4. Describe who you are when you are writing in your journal. How would you describe your personality? Maybe start with a simple list of things you like and dislike and then gradually move into descriptions of more complex character traits.
5. Accept that there are some things you can't control. You can't control your body type; you can't control what talents you have or don't have. Let it go and realize that everyone of every level has value.
6. Cut back on your media time. Looking at "perfect" people in magazines, movies and television will only make you more insecure. Such images are a false reality. Limit your exposure to such things and you will find your self-esteem improving.
7. If you don't have a pet, get one! The way pets offer unconditional love really helps a pet owner to love him or herself. Taking care of an animal will give you a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.
8. Get in touch with your values and beliefs. Write them down, then question their origin, reason, logic, and so forth.
9. Take care of your body. Exercise, keep fit, eat well, and do little things to make you feel good about our appearance. It's not good to obsess over how you look; just do something regularly that makes your feel attractive, whether it's a new hairdo or just painting your nails.
10. Practice positive self-talk. Learn to recognize negative, self-abasing thought patterns and re-wire them into positive thoughts. This may take some therapy or counseling, but it's worth it to learn how to confront those inaccuracies and replace them with the truth about yourself.