What does self-love mean to you?
In bell hooks' book All About Love, she defines love as an action, not a feeling. She explores love as a combination of "trust, commitment, care, respect, knowledge, and responsibility." So based on this, my definition of self-love would be that combination of trust, commitment, care, respect, knowledge and responsibility towards myself.
How do you practice self-love?
I practice self-love by taking care of my physical, psychological, spiritual, professional, and social health through activities such as exercise, hobbies, meditating, taking breaks from work, and spending time with people I care about. These especially help in building my self-esteem, which in turn builds my self-love.
Why do you think self-care is important?
I think self-care is important because it helps maintain our overall well-being. I consider my self-care in five categories: physical, psychological, spiritual, professional, and social. I find that a combination of any care under these five categories helps me build and maintain my self-love.
Why do you think it is important to practice self-love?
I believe it is important to practice self-love because it helps cultivate a healthy sense of self-worth, self-responsibility, and self-acceptance.
How do you encourage yourself and your peers to practice self-care and self-love?
I try to inspire myself and others to prioritize self-care and self-love by setting an example of self-care and self-love in my own actions, emphasizing the significance of looking after oneself, and sharing information and suggestions for self-care activities.
From your perspective, what is the connection between body image and self-love? (how are they related?)
I strongly believe there is a close relationship between self-love and body image, as the way an individual views their body can significantly affect their overall self-esteem. In the current society we live in, it is essential to cultivate a positive body image and to understand that self-worth is not solely determined by appearance.
What is one thing you did for yourself today?
One thing I did for myself today was go shopping with my roommate. This helped me relax and not feel overwhelmed or rushed by work or school.
When do you think it is most important to practice self-love?
It is most important to practice self-love when feeling overwhelmed or stressed, as it can help cope with difficult emotions and situations better. It can also help make better decisions in the moment when you've taken a step back and evaluated everything.
Do you have any New Year's resolutions on how to love yourself better this month and the rest of the year?
I think this question can be answered with another quote from bell hooks' book All About Love:
"Self-acceptance is hard for many of us. There is a voice inside that is constantly judging, first ourselves and then others. That voice enjoys the indulgence of an endless negative critique. Because we have learned to believe negativity is more realistic, it appears more real than any positive voice. Once we begin to replace negative thinking with positive thinking, it becomes utterly clear that, far from being realistic, negative thinking is absolutely disenabling. When we are positive we not only accept and affirm ourselves, we are able to affirm and accept others."
Therefore, one of my New Year's resolutions is to make an effort in prioritizing self-care and self-love daily, particularly through affirmations.