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The importance of self-love within and outside romantic relationships cannot be overemphasized. If you have ever been in one, you may know that there is a direct connection between self-love and relationships. This is because it takes one who loves, appreciates, and celebrates themself to love and appreciate their partner fully.
There’s a popular saying that “hurt people tend to hurt people.” This is true even in relationships. Loving yourself before loving others is crucial if you want to enjoy a stable and healthy relationship.
Now, this is where the questions come in.
What exactly is the importance of self-love in relationships? Do we mean that you cannot successfully love others if you haven’t yet shown yourself love?
If you have these questions, rest assured you’ll find answers in this article. Let’s show you the importance of self-love in relationships.
What exactly is self-love?
Many people have confused the concept of self-love with selfishness. They think self-love should be shunned because anyone who practices it must be a self-absorbed deviant with no intentions of giving room for others. Thankfully, this is not the case.
Self-love is a healthy practice that everyone must consciously partake in if they want to enjoy their lives to the fullest. For the sake of context, this is the real meaning of self-love.
5 effective ways to love yourself
Now that we have thrown some light on what self-love in a relationship is, the next question you may be asking is, “how exactly do I practice self-love?”
We have compiled a robust list of 5 effective ways to love yourself to remove the confusion.
5 reasons why self-love is crucial in relationships
Why is self-love important in a relationship?
So far, we have discussed what self-love is all about and shown you 5 practical ways to demonstrate self-love today. To take it a step further, here are 5 reasons why you must start practicing self-love in your relationship.
1. It will help you see in yourself what your partner sees in you
Some people kick out of their relationships and push against their partners simply because they don’t see what their partner sees in them. Some of them may have gone through terrible childhood or had traumatizing experiences in the past. They get into relationships with these weights on their shoulders, and everything seems to go downhill.
One of the first things that would happen when you start practicing self-love is that you’ll have a heightened sense of self-worth. When you practice self-love, you’ll understand that your partner isn’t stringing you along or doing you a favor by being with you.
Self-love will teach you to take their yes as a yes. So, when they say they love you, you’ll stop being cynical or looking for signs that they mean the exact opposite of what they said. When you love yourself, you’ll know that you are a catch.
You’ll always be reminded that you’re bringing something tangible to the table. You’ll always remember that your partner loves you because you are awesome and deserve to be loved.
Do you always feel cynical or disbelieve your partner when they say they love you? Then, you may want to start practicing self-love in your relationship.
Related Reading: 10 Ways to Know Your Self-worth in a Relationship2. Self-love makes you independent
This is another powerful importance of self-love, especially in relationships.
Statistics have shown that domestic violence is a common problem in America, and it affects over 10 million people every year. One would think that with the amount of violence and abuse that goes on in some relationships, the abused should pack up their bags and walk away. However, this is not always the case as many abused people tend to stay back in those toxic relationships.
Although there are many reasons why someone may choose to stay back in a relationship where they are bullied, beaten, and abused, lack of self-love can also be a cause.
The practice of self-love builds the confidence needed to help you establish boundaries in your life. When you love yourself, you protect your mental and physical space and stay away from toxic people.
When you love yourself in a relationship, you become independent. With this independence, you’ll know when to stick around a partner and help them heal. You’ll also have the courage to step away from their physical space and allow them to figure things out by themselves.
When self-love is in place, you’ll prioritize your health. Hence, you won’t subject yourself to being at the mercy of your partner. This independence is necessary for you to have a happy, long, and healthy relationship.
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3. Self-love earns you more respect from your partner
Mutual respect is a key component of successful relationships. When the two people in a relationship see each other as human beings who deserve every inch of respect they can give, they set the pace for a healthy and happy relationship.
Here’s a simple example.
Let’s say your partner recently started nagging about something that isn’t your fault. On the first day, you gave them the benefit of the doubt, citing that they were tired and stressed from work. The next day, they did the same thing.
On the third day, they were about to get started with their nagging when they decided to stand up for themselves.
With all the calmness and love you could muster, you stopped them in their tracks and made them see why they should stop treating you like you’re not their partner. What do you think would happen here?
By standing up for yourself, you remind your partner that you’re also human. You remind them that you deserve all the respect you can get in your relationship and that you aren’t there as a servant but as their partner.
Think about it for one second. Do you know that your ability to stand up for yourself is because you are confident? Then again, your confidence stems from intentional acts of self-love that have boosted your self-esteem.
Can you see the importance of self-love in helping you earn back the respect of your partner?
Related Reading: Surprising Secret to Self Love That Most People Miss4. It is first your responsibility to make yourself happy
Many people get into relationships with too-high expectations from their partner. They think their partner will make them feel loved, appreciated, and respected – without their input. They go into relationships thinking they’ll abdicate these duties to their partners. Then, many are met with a terrible shock when they get into relationships.
Sometimes, they discover that they just got into a relationship with a similar disposition, someone who was looking for another person to care for them. Then, both partners are left in a fix where no one is willing to reach out and take care of the other.
Please listen. First, you are responsible for loving, appreciating, celebrating, caring for, and making yourself happy. Getting into a relationship with hopes that your partner will do all these for you may be a recipe for disaster.
For one, you are the one who truly understands yourself. You know what makes you happy. You understand your uniqueness.
So, why try to lump the entire responsibility on your partner’s head? Please remember that you are the one in control of your happiness. Practice self-love before relationships. Let your partner come and meet you, a happy, satisfied, and fulfilled person.
It would be easier for them to love and celebrate you when they see you doing the same for yourself.
5. Self-love will keep you healthy to enjoy your relationship
Have you ever thought about the effects of depression and trauma on people? Some people get to points in their lives where they feel like ending it all. So, they start to self-destruct, lash out at others, and deliberately get into trouble because of the pain they’re bottling up within.
However, one major importance of self-love in relationships is that you will start prioritizing your health. When you love yourself, you will eat right, ensure you are always in a productive mental frame, and never intentionally self-destruct.
You’ll want to be alive and fine to enjoy your time with your partner. You’ll love to exercise and stay fit so that your partner never has to keep rushing in and out of the hospital as they try to take care of you.
The best part is when this self-love is a double-way street. When your partner is doing the same things as you (staying healthy, keeping fit, and doing all they can to stay mentally alert and productive), your relationship will be set on the right path for a long time.
Related Reading: 30 Ways to Practice Self-Love and Be Good to YourselfTakeaway
The importance of self-love in relationships cannot be swept under the carpet. Loving others is possible and easier when you love, appreciate, and deeply celebrate how amazing you are as a person.
Sometimes, practicing self-love can be easier said than done. It takes a lot of healing and growth to go from a place of pain to a place of self-love and appreciation. Under these conditions, you may need an expert to help you.
If you have dealt with traumatizing experiences that have kept you from loving and appreciating yourself, please get in touch with a qualified therapist for help. They’ll guide you through the recovery process so you can start loving yourself the way you ought to.
