It’s so important to love yourself. In this day and age, where social media is a constant presence in our daily lives, we tend to compare ourselves or our life to someone else’s. We are always driven to attain this false sense of perfection, so we over-edit, over-do, over-think, and we are often left feeling small and insignificant.

One way of combating this taste of helplessness is to grow to love yourself. Be your own best friend. Imagine what a friend of yours would say to you when you are too hard on yourself, and begin saying those very words to yourself. Chant it like a mantra every day, if you have to, until you start believing them. Because you are worth this self-love and more, I promise you.

Do things that you love, even if you have to do it alone. Some of us tend to think that if we are not constantly surrounded by people, we are not doing life right. But it’s okay to be by yourself. Learn to find yourself in the solitude. Learn to not only tolerate yourself, but to love yourself to the fullest, imperfections, wrinkles, creases and all. So go to that movie that you’ve been dying to see; explore the city like you’ve always wanted to; get that tattoo you’ve been eyeing. In essence, date yourself and treat yourself the way a significant other or best friend would treat you.

Life is too short to fill it with self-hatred. You are amazing just the way you are. Stop overthinking or comparing, and start smiling and living. I know it can be hard some days, but you have to try sometimes. You can give yourself 15 minutes a day to feel down or wallow in your life’s problems, but after that, please try to get up and dust the dirt off your shoulders and take the world head-on with a cleaner mindset. And even if you have setbacks throughout the day, you can restart at any point of time. You don’t have to wait for the next day to start anew. Throughout the day, you can sit down, take a few deep breaths and try again. It’s going to be okay.

Treat yourself right. Meditate and follow a healthier lifestyle regime. There are several apps that can help facilitate you with meditation by giving you step-by-step instructions to clear your mind and develop breathing exercises. According to several studies, meditation has many benefits, including reducing anxiety and social anxiety. Alongside this, exercising and eating healthier will help you manage and lower stress levels. Being mentally fit is an important factor in the path to self-love and positivity.

Don’t let how other’s perceive you affect you to a large degree. Focus on being content and happy with yourself, and all those who are meant to be in your life will naturally gravitate towards you. It's not selfish to love yourself and choose yourself over others sometimes. Remember that.

People will come and go from your life, but you are stuck with yourself forever. Might as well learn to love the person you are stuck with.

Chin up, sweetheart. You’ll be okay in time.