Relationship with Ourselves

Our relationship with ourselves involves self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-care. It impacts our mental and emotional health and our relationships with others.

Unless we value and believe in ourselves, we may not feel we deserve all the benefits of a healthy relationship. Only when we value ourselves will we realise we deserve the very best in relationships with others!

When we are in a healthy relationship with ourselves, we embrace our strengths and opportunities, value who we are and acknowledge what we’ve experienced. Developing a healthy relationship with ourselves isn’t always easy. It can be hard to realise and recognise our strengths and positive qualities, especially if we haven’t been valued and respected in other relationships. A healthy relationship with ourselves begins with taking good care of our physical, mental, and social health.

Our top tips for nurturing a healthy relationship with ourselves 

1. Acceptance – try to accept who you are, all of you, even the things you sometimes think you would like to change. You are enough, just the way you are!
2. Be kind to yourself – no one is perfect, and we get things wrong sometimes. This is part of life, so don’t beat yourself up when things don’t go as planned. Just take the learning from it and move on.
3. Love yourself – this can be hard sometimes, but try to realise how unique and special you are. There is no other person in the world like you; that’s awesome.
4. Boundaries – set healthy boundaries for yourself. Sometimes, saying “No” to things is essential and perfectly acceptable. You are in control of this.
5. Look after your mind and body – relax and take time out when needed. Exercise and eat well – looking after yourself is so important.
6. Don’t let the negative voice in your head take over – we all have this voice in our heads. It likes to put us down and criticise us at times, even when things are going well. It can be deafening! Turn down the volume on this voice and remind yourself it tells lies! Think about what you would say to a friend who is so critical of themselves and say this to yourself.
7. Be confident in yourself – this is easier said than done. Try to realise your strengths; you have so many. Listen to and accept compliments from other people.
8. Do things that bring you joy – spend time with those you love, try new things, and say yes to fun!
9. Let it go – sometimes in life, we must let go of people or things causing us stress and pain. This may mean ending an unhealthy relationship or walking away from a difficult situation. It’s not selfish to do so, but a form of good self-care.
10. Build others up – sometimes you get back what you put out there! Let’s build each other up instead of putting each other down. Showing kindness and compassion can make a huge impact on those around us.