You don't deserve love from someone if you can't love yourself.

About 2-3 years ago, when I was in the prime of my early 20s, all I ever heard or told myself was that I needed to love myself before I could expect someone else to love me. Maybe, just maybe, there is some truth in it, but right now, I see it as a short-sighted way of thinking.

That’s not to say I’m generally trashing the idea of self-love and care being instrumental in a healthy relationship, but if I had the love to give to myself, why am I aggressively looking for someone to show me it’s possible? I mean, I do not always have the answers, so here I am!

Self-care is basically the actions and practices we engage in to maintain our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. This can include things like exercise, eating well, getting enough sleep, and engaging in self-reflection and mindfulness. Self-care is essential for maintaining a healthy relationship with ourselves.

"Self-love" is our positive self-image and self-acceptance. It involves recognizing and accepting one's own qualities, strengths, and limitations and treating oneself with kindness, compassion, and respect. When individuals practice self-love, they are better able to communicate their needs, boundaries, and feelings effectively, which can prevent misunderstandings and conflicts in relationships.

To break it down in a fairy tale world that I and some of you who are reading this may not have access to, people who engage in self-care are highly likely to have the energy and mental clarity to handle the stress and challenges that being in a relationship comes with. If someone has mental clarity and can handle stress, they are usually the ones who are positive in situations and can find joy in unusual circumstances.

Actually, I think self-care is easily achievable. I can decide to make a schedule and set an alarm for each activity that counts as a form of self-care.