Are you wondering how to love yourself without social media?
I know I will probably upset some people with this opening statement but I do not see selfies splashed all over social media as being positive nor self-affirming. There are better ways to build self-esteem and confidence than by counting how many likes your latest picture received. This isn’t self-love! Self-love comes from within, from being happy with yourself, not from seeking acceptance and approval of others. Here’s how to love yourself without social media.
Rather than posting selfies online in the hope that you receive a few likes and positive comments, simply stand in front of the mirror every day and tell yourself out loud that you are beautiful. The only opinion that should matter on this subject is your own, and the more you remind and tell yourself, the more you will begin to believe it. If that's not good advice on how to love yourself without social media, I don't know what is.
Make sure that you keep your body as healthy as possible, because the better you feel on the inside, the better you will look and feel on the outside too. Make sure not to let too many toxins into your system, and it never hurts to take a healing yoga class every now and then. Or even a well deserved massage!
The problem with social media dependence is that it has the potential to really dumb down your mind. Work on stimulating your intelligence by breaking out of the Twitter/Facebook/Instagram cycle and actually sitting down to read a novel or doing a tricky crossword puzzle. Indulging in your intelligent side can make you feel really great and remind yourself that you are a smart woman.
Don’t go overboard with sharing too much personal or sensitive information on social media because it will always have the potential to come back and haunt you. Be careful with the kinds of opinions and pictures that you share online because once your privacy is invaded in a way that you don’t appreciate, it can be very hard to get it back to the way it was before. The world doesn’t need to know all of your business, so don’t feel pressured into sharing it.
We all love to post a bikini pic every now and then, but that doesn’t mean that you have to continue to post racy, unclothed photos simply to gain attention and affirmation. You might get some gratification from online strangers, but think about the real people in your life that could potentially be seeing the content too. Having a parent or colleague see these types of photos will only work to hurt your self esteem in the real world.
Some of them might be a little corny, but the truth is that when you find an inspirational or positive quote that really resonates with you, it can become something really important in your life. Sites like Pinterest and Instagram are just as awesome for inspirational affirmations as for fashion and beauty pics, so why not create your own board, pinned with some of the quotes that have the most meaning to you?
The danger of living your life on social media is that you might start to ignore the real world, and that is the world that truly matters. To build your self esteem away from the computer screen, why not try to find a bigger purpose: Volunteering? Writing? Exercise? Anything that you can dedicate your time to that doesn’t involve posting about yourself all day online.
Loving yourself is far better than the love of strangers. Love yourself and be thankful for those who love you for real, and you’ll be happier. Honestly!