Why is it easier for us, as humans, to list out all of our flaws instead of bragging about all of our amazing qualities? Why do we subject ourselves to an insurmountable amount of self-criticism on the daily? And how do these tendencies affect the way we live and interact with the world and people surrounding us?

Self-love is important. It can be hard; trust me, I know. But it is not impossible to achieve, I promise.

But why is it important? Love is essential; it brings you strength, serenity, and much more when life gets hard. You never want to be in a situation in which you feel like you aren’t getting or giving any love; and with self-love, it is impossible to be in that situation because you will always be there to give yourself the love you need!

And in order to be able to fully understand and appreciate loving other people, you first need to be able to understand how to love yourself.

Here is what a better understanding and practice of self-love can do for you:

• Better mental health: with self-love comes improved mental health. When you are able to forgive yourself for your mistakes and find the beauty in your flaws, you can stop being so hard on yourself. This reduction in negativity leaves more room for positivity, and thus can lead to improved mental health.

• Motivation for healthy lifestyle: self-love means that you love yourself enough to want to see yourself succeed. This success can be in your career or in your lifestyle. Either way, more self-love encourages you to want to do things that help you succeed (like eating healthy, working out, etc.).

• Can help stop procrastination: a part of self-love is self affirmation. Self-affirmation has been proven to help reduce the stress that causes you to procrastinate. So remember; take a deep breath and remind yourself that you got this; because you do!  

So, like many things in life, the idea of self-love can be easier said than done. But, don’t fret! Here are some tips and tricks to help improve your self-love:

• Change the way you talk to yourself: instead of focusing on the negatives, look for the positives. So what if something didn’t go as planned? Focus on what the experience taught you and how that can help you in the future rather than framing it as a “failure.” Give yourself compliments; you deserve them!

• Treat yo self: try not to be so hard on yourself all the time. Relax. Breath. Indulge in something that brings you joy and then try again. Rewarding yourself instead of punishing is SO important. And why not reward yourself with a some SOCIAL Sparkling Wine! 

• Understand the downside of perfectionism: everyone strives for perfection; no one wakes up in the morning and thinks “today I’d like to be totally mediocre at my job.” But part of the quest of perfection is realizing that there is no such thing; perfection is unattainable and that is okay. Do your best, find ways to improve, and think of how far you’ve come in your progress.

It is okay to love yourself -- in fact, it is more than okay. It is HEALTHY and BENEFICIAL.

The media makes people, especially women, feel like it's wrong to love yourself; and that is just not true. Embrace your flaws, your quirks, your imperfections because they are unique and they make you...you. And YOU are beautiful and worthy of love.