Self-Love: 101 Ways To Love Yourself (2024)

Self-Love is extremely important to our lives. The amount of love, appreciation, and respect that we have for ourselves directly affects our results in life. This includes our success, our happiness, and how fulfilled we are. It affects the type of job we have, our relationships (both intimate and friendships), our health, and every corner of our lives. If you are not satisfied with your life, then maybe it’s time to show yourself a little more love.

Here are 101 ways to practice self-love and love yourself. I hope they help you on your self-love journey.

101 Ways To Practice Self-Love and Love Yourself

1. Forgive yourself for your mistakes. We are only human. The best we can do is learn from our past, change, and move on.
2. Let go of regret. Regret impacts our ability to look forward with hope and excitement. It also keeps us feeling “stuck”.
3. Stop beating yourself up. Don’t let your inner critic dominate your thoughts. You are not what it says you are.
4. Give yourself a daily compliment. Challenge yourself to come up with a unique compliment to yourself each day. This will force you to focus on your value and strengths.
5. Stop procrastinating. You are an important person whether you admit it or not and you have important things to do. Get motivated and get things done.
6. Keep your boundaries. Know when to stand up for yourself and know when to say no.
7. Do something you love. Take some time every once in a while to do something just for you. Don’t let guilt or excuses keep you from scheduling “me time”.
8. Stop comparing yourself to others. Comparing is often unfair. Typically we compare our worst to their best. Show yourself self-love by comparing only to your past self.
9. Read something inspirational every day. Feed your soul something inspirational on a daily basis. Keep your heart full with feel good stories and hope.
10. Nourish your body. Feed yourself healthy foods. Stay away from fast food, cookies, chips and other junk. Treat your body like the temple it is.

11. Exercise daily. Get your blood pumping and sweat at least 30 minutes a day. Not only will this improve your health, but it will pump you full of “feel good” hormones called endorphins.
12. Sit quietly. Take some time each day to sit quietly. Use this opportunity to clear your mind and reconnect with yourself.
13. Kick the overthinking habit to the curb. We can’t focus on loving ourselves if we are constantly overthinking about what happened or what may happen.
14. Say daily self-love affirmations. Use the power of affirmations to improve your self-appreciation. Find affirmations that resonate with you and say them throughout the day.
15. Realize you are not perfect. Stop being a perfectionist. No one is perfect so why should you be? Be realistic and kind to yourself.
16. Overcome your limiting beliefs. Your limiting beliefs will keep you from living your best life. Challenge them, and replace them with new, empowering beliefs.
17. Stop the negative self-talk. From this point on, NEVER say anything negative about yourself out loud. Spoken words have power.
18. Make decisions based on your values. When you do not make daily decisions based on your values, you make them based on someone else’s values. Figure out what your values are and live by them.
19. Reflect on your accomplishments. Instead of focusing on your shortcomings, reflect on your accomplishments. What obstacles have you overcome? What amazing things have you done?
20. Journal your way to self-love. Journaling is an excellent way to reduce stress, practice gratitude, and stay positive. Pick up a journal today and start writing.

21. Stop asking or seeking approval. You are enough. As a matter of fact you are Beyond enough.
22. Don’t apologize for your feelings. It’s okay that you feel frustrated, angry, insecure, etc. Your emotions are a part of who you are. Of course you may want to learn to deal with them in a healthy manner but don’t dismiss them. You have every right to feel the way you do.
23. Accept compliments graciously. When you receive a compliment, say thank you instead of dismissing them. You wouldn’t throw a physical gift in the trash. Treat compliments the same way.
24. Embrace your quirkiness. Instead of looking at your oddness as a weakness, look at it as a strength. We are all unique in our own special way. Be proud of who you are.
25. Let the laughter in. Laugh often. Even when you don’t feel like laughing, laugh anyway. Trust me the real giggling will begin shortly after. Laughing will boost your mood and help you produce those “feel good” emotions I mentioned earlier.
26. Show others love. Many people miss the boat on this. The more you do for others, the more you let the self-love in.
27. Respect your time. It’s time to start saying no to things you don’t want to do. Time is precious. Don’t waste another second doing something that you really don’t want to do.
28. Ask for help. If you are feeling burned out, ask for help. Ask your spouse to pitch in more, get on your kids to do more, ask a co-worker to pull their weight. You don’t have to do it alone.
29. Step out of your comfort zone. The fastest way to grow as a person is to do something that makes you a bit uncomfortable. Excel faster in life by stepping outside of your boundaries. You’ll feel better about yourself if you do.
30. Stop complaining. Complaining keeps us focused on negativity, and causes us to look at everything with pessimistic eyes. It’s harder for us to focus on the positive things we have going for us if we complain.

31. Get yourself a gift. Make it a habit to get yourself a gift every once in a while. Buy yourself that outfit you’ve been wanting or get yourself some flowers. Show yourself love and get spoiled.
32. Stand up for yourself. It’s time to stop letting people walk all over you. Stand up for yourself (in a civil way of course) when you feel you are being taken advantage of.
33. Let go of guilt. Stop letting guilt get in the way of loving yourself.
34. Get more sleep. Just like exercise and eating healthy, getting more sleep is a great way to practice self-love. You’ll feel refreshed and more energized.
35. Start a hobby. Get involved in something new or start-up an old passion.
36. Meet new people. When we meet new people we get to tell them all about us. We get to rediscover who we are all over again by talking about our experiences, hobbies, and interests.
37. Rekindle your creative side. Paint a picture, take a picture, write a poem, create a short story. Just do something that gets those creative juices flowing again.
38. Unplug from technology. Spend at least 30 minutes a day with no connection to the outside world. Turn off your phone, the TV, etc, and give yourself a break from the stress, and negativity in the world.
39. Call a friend. Call up an old buddy and reminisce about the good ol’ days.
40. Practice gratitude every night. Spend a moment or two every night before bed being grateful for the day. Find things in life to be truly grateful for, especially things about you.

41. Say good-bye to toxic friendships. Love yourself by cutting out the people in your life who are not supportive. Life is short. We need to spend our precious time with others who love us and have our backs.
42. Follow your dream. Be true to yourself and your desires. You have been given your dream for a reason. Spark up the passion again and go after it.
43. Do not tolerate disrespect. When someone is being disrespectful to you, be clear with them that they crossed the line and that you will no longer tolerate that type of behavior.
44. Forgive others. Forgiving is not forgetting or being okay with what happened. It’s a way for you to move forward and drop the weight off of your shoulders. Forgive them for your benefit.
45. Have a spot. Have a physical location that is only for you. A place where you can get away and be alone with your thoughts.
46. Give yourself permission to fail. It’s through our failure that we can learn and grow. Learn from it, grow from it, and get back up.
47. Keep a love me list. Write down at least 10 things you love about yourself and look at it throughout the day. Use this list as a reminder of how special and valuable you are.
48. Avoid triggers. If there are things that trigger a negative emotion for you or make you feel down on yourself, avoid them. Oftentimes avoidance is the best answer.
49. Focus on self-improvement. Invest in yourself and practice self-love by improving yourself. What things do you need to work on? Make a list. Then begin improving those areas.
50. Stop being a victim. This is some tough love but maybe you need to hear it. You are in complete control of your life. The second you realize this, the better your life will become.

51. Develop a positive attitude. Work on being one of those annoyingly positive people. Always look for the silver lining in a situation. If there isn’t one, then accept it and stay positive anyway.
52. Do things you are good at. When we engage in a talent or something we are skilled in, we naturally feel better about ourselves. It helps us fall in love with ourselves all over again.
53. Take a trip. Is there someplace you’ve been wanting to go? Then plan a trip right now. Find a date on the calendar that works and commit!
54. Reward yourself. Don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back and treat yourself when you accomplish something. Lose 5 pounds, or meet a deadline? Then recognize your success.
55. Get wild. Allow yourself to do something spontaneous and fun. We only live once!
56. Let go of things that do not serve you. Do your best not to hold on to things that bring you down. Stop holding a grudge. It hurts you, not them.
57. Stop sweating the small stuff. If it won’t matter in a week, month or year from now, don’t spend another second sweating over it. Let it go.
58. Listen to your gut. If something doesn’t feel right to you, then respect the feeling. Listen to your intuition.
59. Stop apologizing for being you. Sure you may have flaws but nothing is wrong with you. Don’t say sorry just for being yourself.
60. Make yourself a priority. Many people have a problem with this one. Just remember that you can’t pour from an empty cup. When you put yourself first, you can give more and be more supportive to others.

61. Be your own best friend. You have all the love and friendship that you need from within. You are with yourself 24/7/375. What better person to be your best friend.
62. Dress to impress. You feel your best, when you look your best. Take pride in your appearance.
63. Start your day with praise. Wake up each morning praising yourself. This is a powerful way to show yourself self-love. Talk about how amazing you are and hype up your strengths.
64. Take care of your belongings. Show yourself and your things respect by keeping them organized and clean. Make sure your closet is organized, keep your car clean, and keep your workspace presentable for example.
65. Eliminate bad habits. Make a list of your bad habits and how they negatively affect your life. Sometimes seeing them on paper will motivate you to do something about them. Then come up with new, empowering habits to replace them.
66. Take responsibility for your own happiness. You and only you are responsible for your happiness. It’s not your spouse’s responsibility. It’s not your parent’s or your friend’s job. Your happiness belongs to only you.
67. Believe in yourself. Stop doubting yourself and your abilities. Look at how far you’ve come so far. Look at all the obstacles you have overcome. If you did it before, you can do it again.
68. Stop being pushed around by fear. It’s time to stop letting fear dictate your future. Instead, let your dreams in your heart lead the way.
69. Don’t let your struggle become your identity. Just because you are going through a hard time doesn’t mean it defines who you are. You are forever lasting, your struggles are not.
70. Talk to yourself with love. Always talk to yourself like you would someone you love. Be kind, gentle, and understanding.

71. Recharge when needed. Sometimes life can get overwhelming. When this happens, getaway to recharge your batteries. Take some time off from work, or visit an old friend without the family tagging along. Go for a walk. Just do something to recharge and refocus.
72. Stop believing everything you think. Many times it’s your inner critic talking.
73. Repeat the affirmation: “I am worthy, I do matter, and I do deserve it.”
74. Be honest with yourself. Stop hiding from things you know need to change. Admit your weaknesses and be honest about your feelings. When you can open up and be honest with yourself, it will make it easier to be honest with others.
75. Find balance. Evaluate the balance you have in your life. What areas do you need to work on? Is it your health? Is it your social life? Do you need to stop giving most of your time to work? Try to bring balance to every area of your life.
76. Meditate. Meditation is an excellent way to practice self-love and love yourself. First of all, you are spending some time alone to focus on improving yourself. Meditation also keeps you grounded, focused, and energized.
77. Accept your body the way it is. Be accepting of your body. Imperfections and all. Instead of scrutinizing your body, show it gratitude for serving you.
78. Do things that are best for you. Most of the time we do things based on what’s best for everyone else. Start doing things that serve you.
79. Let yourself win. Believe it or not, many people fear success. They have experienced so much failure and disappointment, that they wouldn’t know how to handle an actual win in their life. If you can relate to this, then try to realize that you do deserve to win for once.
80. Write yourself a love letter. Take some time once a month to write yourself a letter. Write about all the things you love about yourself as well as words of encouragement and inspiration. Then mail it! Seriously, put it in the mailbox addressed to yourself.

81. Indulge in something. It’s okay to spoil yourself with something “bad” every once in a while. Spend a day playing video games, or maybe play hookie from work. Eat a whole container of ice-cream. Sometimes self-love means breaking the rules. As long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.
82. Create a bucket list. Write down all the things you want to do in your life as well as why you want to do them, and why you deserve to do them. Then commit to doing them.
83. Listen to music that moves you. Music is love. It can evoke emotions like nothing else. Music can remind us of the good old days, bring happiness and joy, get us motivated and so much more.
84. Allow others to do for you. Don’t let your pride get in the way of others showing you love. Love yourself enough to accept kindness from others.
85. Purge material things. Free your life and space of clutter. Go through all of your belongings and get rid of things that you truly do not need. Research shows that clutter adds to anxiety and stress, so declutter.
86. Play. Just because you are an adult, doesn’t mean you can’t play. Spend some time doing something fun. Go to a park and get on the swings, or commit to something more like joining an adult softball league. If you have kids, join them in the games they like to play.
87. Veg out. Spend a day doing absolutely nothing. Stay in your pj’s and become a couch potato.
88. Do a social media purge. Go through all of the people and pages you follow and unfollow all the accounts that make you feel you are not enough. Even if what they post isn’t directed at you, if it makes you feel less than, it’s time to hit that unfollow button.
89. Stop taking things personally. Most of the time it has nothing to do with you. It’s about them. Don’t let other people’s words and actions affect you.
90. Stop trying to please everyone. Let go of your people-pleasing tendencies. Some people aren’t going to like you no matter how hard you try. It’s okay to let others down sometimes.

91. Be yourself. Speaker Les Brown says, “Everyone is born unique, but most die copies.” Don’t be a copy. Be true to yourself.
92. Have high expectations. Stop settling for less than what you deserve. Expect to have the job you dream of. Expect to have the freedom you desire and the type of relationship you want. You deserve it so expect it.
93. Try new things. Do something that you never thought you would. Join a Salsa Dancing class, or go rock climbing. You never know what new passions you may discover.
94. Don’t get caught up on achieving status or collecting things. You can’t take those things with you when you die. Instead, focus on the simple and meaningful things in life.
95. Keep learning. Love yourself by learning something new. Continuous learning helps you stay confident and keeps your mind sharp.
96. Check in with yourself. Periodically check in with yourself to see how you are feeling. Don’t brush off your emotions. Feel them and try to understand them.
97. Use your strengths. It’s not enough to know what your strengths are, you must use them. Using them gives you confidence and self-appreciation. Look for opportunities to use your strengths throughout the day.
98. Develop a growth mindset. A growth mindset is when you believe that with hard-work and determination you can accomplish anything. This is in contrast to a fixed mindset which is when someone believes they can’t do anything beyond the cards they have been dealt.
99. See a therapist or get a life coach. You don’t have to be a victim of trauma to see a professional. Seek the help of someone who knows what questions to ask to get you to love yourself and appreciate who you are.
100. Cook a comfort food meal from scratch. For many of us, cooking and food is a symbol of love. Why not show yourself love the way your mom used to do and cook a special meal for yourself.
101. Accept what comes. Change is inevitable. It’s the only constant. Practice self-love by being flexible and accepting change when it comes. Give yourself a break from trying to control everything.

Self-Love is the key to create positive, lasting change in your life. Take these strategies to heart and use them to show yourself more love. It’s also important that you actually schedule time to practice self-love. Don’t let guilt or excuses stop you from appreciating yourself and doing something for you. Remember this quote from Buddha:

“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”