Self-love is good for the heart

• Did you know that loving yourself can help you to be healthier?
• Evidence suggests self-love, self-acceptance, healthy self-esteem and self-compassion can have a beneficial impact on our heart and health.
• Read on to find out what you can do to boost your heart health.

What’s the evidence?

When we love ourselves, we are more likely to engage with health-benefitting behaviours. Basically, we take better care of ourselves. Recent studies have suggested that loving yourself (having healthy self-esteem, accepting yourself for who you are and caring for yourself) helps to boost your PNS (parasympathetic nervous system), which is in charge of the ‘rest and digest’ body system that helps to conserve energy, slow us down, regenerate and heal. Self-love can bring about a change in our bodies; a feeling of calm, a reduced heart rate, lower stress hormone levels, better at fighting inflammation; all things that help the heart stay healthy.

How can I achieve self-love and better heart health?

Take a look at the ideas below. Which of these could be something you could try in order to boost your self-love and heart health?

• Spend time with yourself. For some of us, being alone isn’t enjoyable, but it doesn’t have to be boring or scary. One of the best ways to get to know yourself is to spend some time alone. It might be that you schedule some time in every week or month (if you are just starting out) and build up the time as you go. Try reading a book, going for a walk, taking yourself out to dinner, going to a movie, watching a sporting event or visiting a museum.
• Mindfulness practice. This involves being deliberately aware of the present moment in a non-judgemental and balanced manner. Regular mindfulness practice can help us to acknowledge what we think, feel and do, helping us to understand who we are, and what we need.
• Focus on what you need, not what you want. It’s easy to sometimes forget to focus on what is important, necessary and needed. Being distracted by things that might prevent you from staying centred, stable, strong and moving in the direction you want to in your life. Being able to redirect yourself away from automatic behaviours or habits that do not serve you, that get you into trouble or keep you stuck, is really important for self-love.
• Do what you love. Think about how often you fill your time with doing something you really LOVE. Whether it’s learning a new language, dancing, singing, talking, writing, being creative or listening to music, do more of it.
• Quieten your inner critic. We can be our own worst enemies, often at times to our detriment. We do need a certain level of self-awareness and introspection to be healthy; however, only focusing on the flaws, failures or mistakes only gives us a skewed perception of ourselves, other people and the world around us. Try and get a balanced, more realistic perspective by challenging those negative thoughts.
• Treat yourself how you would treat a friend. Being kinder to yourself isn’t easy! As with the point above, it might be helpful for you to ask yourself “Would I say or do this to a friend?”, it might help to establish when that inner critic is present and help you to find alternative ways of thinking or doing.
• Positive data logging for a self-love boost. Write down three things that have happened to you, that you have done or have noticed each day. This doesn’t have to be large, out of the ordinary successes or positives, it can be something small, such as getting to work on time or going for a walk. For that added boost, try thinking and noting down what this experience says about you. If we continue with our example above; “I got to work on time, which suggests I am a dedicated and responsible employee”.
• Positive affirmations. If you notice you’re experiencing negative or unhelpful views of yourself, actions or experiences then trying regular positive affirmations can help to create an optimistic perspective. You can read them quietly to yourself, or say them aloud, altering the “I’s” to “You’s”, if that makes you feel more comfortable. Some examples are, “I love myself”, “I am worthy of love”, “I am worthy of respect”, “I am a valuable”, “You are brilliant, just as you are right now”, “You are one of a kind” and “You are a compassionate person”.
• Choose to be around positive people. Research suggests that positive emotions can be shared within social groups. Consider who you spend your time with. Do they support you? Do they provide you with appreciation, respect and care? It might be beneficial for you to protect yourself by spending more of your time with people who inspire, motivate and encourage you.
• Forgive yourself. Typically, we are hard on ourselves for our mistakes and forget this is part of being human. You could practice forgiveness by writing a letter to yourself. Say sorry, and accept the apology.
• Have a digital detox. Reflecting on how you use social media or devices can help to give your mind a rest from the ‘compare and despair’ experience that some people have when seeing other people’s filtered lives online. Who or what do you consume when online? Is it positive, motivating or inspiring? Does it make you feel good about yourself or give you a sense of community? If not, it might be worth reducing the time you spend here.
• Be your own caregiver. You may have numerous roles and responsibilities within your life; at work, home and other spheres. You cannot pour from an empty cup, so consider looking after yourself in the way you support those around you. Love yourself by getting plenty of rest, considering nutrition and hydration and keeping active.