It’s Important to Love Yourself First
Start With You
Loving yourself takes time—especially when you’re battling depression. But it’s essential.
“We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be.”
— May Sarton
If the mirror feels like your enemy, maybe it’s time to make it your friend. Smile at your reflection. Say something kind. Most of us avoid our own eyes because we’re afraid of what we might see—the truth.
Why Loving Others First Can Be Harmful
Loving others before learning to accept yourself is a recipe for pain. When you don’t know your worth, you give too much. You allow others to define you, control you, and eventually, hurt you.
What follows is resentment, frustration, and depression.
You feel stifled, unheard, and unseen.
Comparison only adds fuel to that fire. Media, peer pressure, and unrealistic standards whisper that you’re not enough—not thin enough, not attractive enough, not good enough.
That’s a lie.
Love Yourself First, or You’ll Always Feel Empty
You’ve tried loving others hard—thinking it would heal your wounds. But instead, you felt hollow. Why? Because…
You forgot to love yourself first.
No matter what you do, if someone constantly makes you feel less than, that isn’t love. That’s emotional erosion.
You are not here to earn love by pleasing others. You are here to realize you are already worthy of it.
“We accept the love we think we deserve.”
— Stephen Chbosky
Here’s How to Start Loving You
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Talk to yourself kindly. Try affirmations. “I’m doing the best I can,” “I am enough.”
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Treat yourself. It doesn’t have to be extravagant—ice cream, a walk in the park, your favorite song on repeat.
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Avoid toxic people. Guard your peace like it’s sacred—because it is.
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Call your support buddy. You don’t have to go through tough days alone.
Once you learn to love yourself, you set the tone for how others treat you. No one can devalue you without your permission. And you’ll stop giving it.
Final Thought
Loving yourself isn’t selfish—it’s survival. It’s freedom. It’s healing. When you love yourself, you’re no longer waiting for someone else to complete you. You are complete. Anyone else who loves you—will just add to that beauty.