How Loving Yourself Improves Your Relationship

Self-love is the one thing that’s most essential to helping you live positively, in the present. It’s also backed by science!
Loving yourself goes deeper than having that slice of cake you’ve been wanting to dig into or gifting yourself an expensive watch. It is appreciating yourself for what you are, valuing your existence, celebrating your strengths, and also embracing your flaws.

Putting yourself first not only benefits you, but also others around you. When you’re in a relationship, directing your love toward yourself before showering it on your partner can be the key to a better future.

Here’s what self-love can do for you and your relationship!

It Makes You Less Needy

When you’re needy and insecure, you rely on someone else to make you feel loved. While it’s not wrong to want to be loved, understood, and accepted by your partner, being excessively clingy and demanding can cause you to push your SO away. On the other hand, if your SO is just as needy as you are, you’ll be building a relationship where both of you are overly co-dependent, creating more problems down the road.

When you start loving yourself more, you stop seeking approval from others, becoming more confident and assertive of yourself. You also become in charge of your life, and are empowered to make conscious decisions and set stronger boundaries that lead to your own happiness. And guess what? Confidence is one of the top qualities people look for in a partner!

It Allows You to Grow

When you concentrate on yourself by indulging in mindful practices, you put your physical, psychological and spiritual needs to the forefront. Staying in a state of awareness helps you focus on nourishing activities and keeps you from falling into behavior patterns that prevent you from moving ahead in life.

When you are in love with yourself, you inadvertently do things that are good for you- you eat right, get enough sleep, exercise, bond with positive people, and build healthier relationships. As you better yourself bit by bit, you will see the benefits seep into all aspects of your life, including your relationship with your partner.

It Lets Your Individuality Shine

Some people tend to become so absorbed into their relationship with their SO that they lose themselves, reducing to a mirror image of their partner. While it’s great for people in a relationship to take an interest in each other’s activities, it’s disagreeable for one partner to completely change their habits or opinions to suit the other.

Loving yourself doesn’t mean you end up living a separate life from your partner. However, self-love lets you live a wonderful life where you wholeheartedly follow your dreams and passions. You know what is important to you and your goals are well-defined. What’s more, your goals do not revolve around your SO or your relationship, but YOU! By maintaining your individuality, you’re far from being a selfish person. Truth is, you’re working on making yourself whole so you can build a stronger relationship with your SO.

It Drives You to Treat Yourself Better

Imagine loving yourself just as you would a little child. When you feel frustrated, you still speak to yourself with patience and kindness; when you make a mistake, you know how to forgive yourself; and when you achieve something remarkable, you shower praises on yourself!

When you love yourself, you commit to your well-being and give yourself all the reassurance and support you deserve instead of being too critical of yourself. Most importantly, the way you treat yourself sets the tone for how other people treat you. As your partner sees that you treat yourself with utmost love and respect, they will follow suit, further strengthening your bond with them.

It Enables You to Truly Love Your Partner

A lot of people stay in a toxic relationship because they fear losing their SO or are worried that they’ll never find someone else who can love them. Moreover, toxic relationships are often based on convenience- one partner addresses the insecurities or fulfills specific needs of the other. This is unhealthy and is not what love is about!

When you love yourself, you are the master of your own happiness. Sure, you love your SO too, but you don’t depend on them to make you happy; they only enhance your already existing happiness. Self-love also means that you don’t allow your emotions and mental state to be dictated by circumstances, for example, your partner’s availability. You honor the relationship and realize that both of you need space and independence. This liberation helps you accept your partner for what they are and enables you to love them in the true meaning of the word.

In Conclusion,

Self-love is not narcissism at all and you shouldn’t feel guilty about thinking of your own self first. Loving yourself helps you work past your insecurities and let go of baggage that’s weighing you down, preventing you from giving your current partner and relationship the best of yourself.

So start bettering your relationship with yourself right away and invite positivity into your life!

Next up, why the key to overcoming your demons is not fighting them.