By Robyn Henson

 

Starting a self-love journey takes deep reflection and practice. As human beings, we are constantly evolving. The motion of our personal evolution takes us down an endless timeline of curiosity and exploration.

 

Through curiosity and exploration, many can receive answers by questioning themselves about events that have occurred in their lives and realising patterns that they might adjust. They might then practice these life changes for a time that feels right to the individual seeking change and love in their lives.

 

All of this ‘change’ that I speak of will not make sense at the beginning of one’s self-love journey. I will admit that ‘change’ was not even in my vocabulary because I found it to be detrimental to my progression. I needed change to be what I felt, how I spoke and the way I kept up with myself. Change had to be results.

 

During my ongoing self-love journey, I have come to realise that I produced plenty of results that I had minimised and overlooked, which I am anxious to share with those who may be doing the same thing. Here are ten subtle signs you’re improving on your self-love journey to remind you that even small steps take you closer to your destination.

 

You are complimenting yourself more

 

Words hold more strength than we know. What we say sets the groundwork for our thought processes. Seeing an improvement in complimenting yourself more and highlighting positive personal attributes is a good sign that you are deeply reflecting on parts of yourself that you love and admire. Compliments do not have to pertain to physical attributes! Finding qualities that are strong internal values is even merrier.

 

You are accepting parts of yourself that you are insecure about

 

Insecurities can sometimes eat away at us, controlling how we navigate the world and sometimes slowing down social encounters by raising anxiety about our appearance and if we are socially accepted. Everyone has them, though many might not talk about them. However, growing awareness of our own insecurities and realising those insecurities for what they are aids us in accepting our flaws and considering them a part of the natural human experience.

 

You are trying new hobbies

 

Hobbies are healthy when decoding the probability of your interest in an activity. Certain hobbies get better as you go along. Having a hobby that can be used as an emotional, creative and developmental outlet gives you the chance to seek fulfilment, skill and growth, which can promote elevated feelings of joy, worthiness and purpose.

 

You are speaking up for yourself more

 

Voicing your opinions openly is a strong indicator that you have improved in areas of self-love. Speaking up for your values and belief systems can seem problematic if your opinions are often invalidated by others. The key is no longer wanting others to validate your personal experiences for you by believing that what you have experienced in situations may not always be relatable to others.

 

You are creating boundaries

 

Boundaries are key to a healthy and thriving life. Boundaries are to ensure that you do not overextend yourself beyond your energetic limits. Reserving energy to continually stay productive throughout the day and manage your duties and promises makes you the priority of your own life.

 

You are able to process emotions better than before

 

Processing emotions is not always easy. If you are reflecting on your emotions, understand that there is absolutely no timeline for which an emotional experience should be healed. Taking time to reflect and sit with those emotions for a while does the emotional body good, as well as the mind.

 

You are balancing logic in times of struggle

 

Using logic and reasoning can be fundamental in our approach to growth and self-love. Logic provides you with the benefit of setting reasonable goals, actions and behaviours. Ways to apply this could be stopping yourself and questioning if an encounter should be worth spending your energy on or questioning if partaking in an event would benefit you. Creating a logical framework grounds you and motivates you to increase skills in critical analysis.

 

You are treating yourself to things you truly want

 

This one is essential. If you are treating yourself after an accomplishment, then you are on the right path. I would often hold back on treating myself for reasons I’m not quite sure of. Only recently have I adored to treat myself because I optimised voicing how I deserved these rewards for all of my hard work and dedication. You earned that good meal, shoes, bracelet, necklace, perfume – whatever it is – after a long and tiresome week!

 

You are seeking out healthier relationships

 

You are the common denominator in all your relationships. If you both have the same common interests and goals, for the most part you will thrive as a couple, thruple or quadruple! Relationships support the excursion of personal and group development through the exchange of opinions, beliefs, cultures and attitudes. In healthy spaces, love and protection flow, allowing the best for all parties involved.

 

You are seeking gratitude often

 

For the past two years, the world has been such a frightening place. From us being in a state of panic and uncertainty for ourselves and our loved ones surviving through COVID-19, to most recently Russia’s plot to attack Ukraine, leaving many in Ukraine displaced and seeking refuge elsewhere, it is easy to lose yourself in the constant whiplash of global issues. However, by finding time to seek gratitude amid untimely events, you are doing yourself a huge service. You are taking time to regulate those imbalances and remind yourself of the good that is happening around you, the good that continues to fuel your desire to accumulate enticing experiences.