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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Five Ways to Love Yourself By Ananya Swaminathan

Five Ways to Love Yourself
1.     Surround yourself with good friends. A good friend is someone who accepts you for who you are, and will always stand by you, no matter what the situation. Don’t feel the need to please people or change yourself for those who do not respect you. Instead, enjoy the company of those who motivate, inspire, and genuinely care about you.
2.     Have a healthy lifestyle. Eat a balanced diet. Sleep for at least 6-7 hours a night. (This may be difficult for some high-schoolers, but it is extremely important.) Try to have a positive outlook on life. Maintaining physical, mental, and emotional well-being can give you the strength to face obstacles.
3.     Reflect on what you have accomplished. Self-improvement is a good thing; however, forgetting to acknowledge the progress you have made to reach a goal, even if you didn’t reach it, can be damaging to self-esteem. Instead of feeling bad for all the things you didn’t improve on, look at how much progress you’ve made to reach a particular goal. You may be surprised by how far you’ve come, compared to where you started.
4.     Accept your shortcomings. No one is perfect. Acknowledging your flaws is the first step towards improving them. Don’t view your flaws in a negative or self-depreciating way. Be patient and compassionate with yourself.
5.     Every once in a while, do something you love. This can be anything, from drawing to singing to taking nature walks. Do something that allows you to relax and makes you feel happy. School and activities can be pretty stressful, but doing something you love can help you feel less overwhelmed by the challenges you may face.  

~Ananya Swaminathan

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