This can be an extremely tough time of year for people, so let’s talk about something that’s very important, especially if you’re just beginning or thinking of starting your fitness journey.
There are a multitude of reasons why a person looks into fitness, dieting or adjusting their lifestyle. It can be as simple as wanting more energy or training for a marathon, to as complicated as medical reasons.
The most important thing is that people should always do these acts of self-betterment for themselves, not for anyone else. And that’s what this is about:
Self-love.
Beginning your fitness journey is a personal choice, and it can be an emotional thing for some people. However, through the struggle and sweat and joy there should be one emotion never brought to the front:
Self-loathing.
One of the worst reasons a person can start a lifestyle change is because they hate themselves. At that point you are working out and changing your diet for the wrong reasons, and that can become dangerous or unhealthy. Work out because you love your body, and that will start you on the best and healthiest path to self-betterment.
Why You Should Love Yourself
Because you are a unique and wonderful person. You are the only person on this Earth that can do what you are meant to do. There are people that thrive on others tearing themselves down, and you shouldn’t give them the satisfaction.
Listen, you’re not perfect. No one is! That’s just a fact that everyone needs to accept. When you love yourself the matter of your perfection really just falls to the side. It stops mattering, and you stop allowing it to consume your thoughts in any way. Instead of worrying about the way you appear to everyone around you, suddenly you’re able to focus on others and loved ones and whatever it is that makes you happy!
Self-love gives you more confidence in your day-to-day life as well. It gives you more confidence when interacting with others or when trying new things for the first time. When you’re motivated for the right reasons, going to boot camp suddenly doesn’t become a chore or something to be embarrassed about, it becomes something that you are doing for yourself because you are worth it.
We hear all the time how nervous new clients are to begin their journeys, to the point where some won’t even come in or just quit after one session. Don’t let this happen to you! You began this fitness journey for a reason; it’s because you wanted to do something good for yourself mentally and physically. Learning to love yourself is the first of many steps that will get you where you want to be in life.
What You Gain From Self-Love
Confidence if one of the first things you gain when you learn to love yourself. That confidence will lead to self-respect and respect for those around you. When you respect yourself you treat yourself much better than you would without that self-love.
Respecting yourself means having more discipline over your body and your choices, because you know you’re worth it. You’ll find yourself eating less unhealthy food and exercising more often as a result. Many people that struggle with their lifestyle have such a hard time because they don’t respect themselves enough to make a change in their habits.
The truth is that self-love leads to confidence and self-respect, which allows you to get more fulfillment out of everything around you. Workouts won’t seem like a chore, they’ll be something you’re doing for yourself because you want more out of your life. Those burgers won’t seem like they’re worth it anymore (other than the occasional treat, but not all the time!) You’ll be happier and have more energy for everything you’ve been holding yourself back from!
How To Learn to Love Yourself
The first step is to learn that making yourself a priority is not selfish! Your needs are just as important as the needs of everyone around you, stop putting yourself down so that others can be happy. Treat your own self the way you would treat a neighbor or a friend, with compassion and empathy.
Be assertive about your wants and needs. Not only do you need to remind yourself that you’re important, but you need to make sure the people around you remember that as well. When you surround yourself with people that love and respect you as much as you deserve you’ll be able to go farther in this journey of self-betterment. If someone in your life isn’t cheering you on or respecting your needs, maybe you need to reconsider the company you keep. Surround yourself with like-minded people. We call ourselves a Family for a reason, it’s because we lift each other up and motivate one another to put our best foot forward in everything we do.
Something we’ve talked about in a past blog is how guilty pleasures don’t exist. You need to do whatever it is you need to. Do you really like animals? Maybe you find yourself happiest when making something with your hands? Or boot camp is when you smile the most? Then go out and do those things for yourself! Allowing yourself whatever indulgence makes you happiest will help you recharge your batteries and make facing everything else that much easier. And in those moments of doing what you love is when you’ll find that self-love easiest to obtain.
The point of this is to let you know that you are worth it, and the moment you realize this fact is the moment you can start to become the best you possible. Self-love will make this scary journey into the realm of fitness seem so much brighter, because you’re not doing it for anyone but yourself. And you’re the only person that matters.