How do you show appreciation to someone that has done something nice for you? The answer is don’t hate, self-appreciate. Most of us would say “thank you” or look for a way to return the courtesy.

But how often do we take the time to self-appreciate and thank ourselves for all that we do? In fact, how many times do we thank ourselves for getting up and getting through the day?

Thank Yourself

Rather than being hard on yourself for the mistakes you make or the things you don’t do right, self-appreciation is about thanking yourself for all the things you do, no matter how you do them.  

Self-appreciation means being grateful for who you are—whether that means being thankful for your body and what it can do, or being thankful for your personality, talents, and gifts. People could have strengths and natural gifts, and not value them. When you’re grateful for these traits and DO value them, it’s considered self-appreciation.

How to Appreciate Yourself

Stop Waiting

 

Don’t wait for others to appreciate you and don’t want to appreciate yourself. Do it now! You don’t necessarily have to achieve anything or hit any important milestones to appreciate yourself. You can appreciate yourself just because.

When it comes to appreciating yourself, focus on positivity and the things that you have rather than the things you don’t have. It can be something as simple as appreciating your good health and the things your body does for you. These are things that we sometimes don’t pay attention to and often take for granted.

Use Nice Words

Self-appreciation can be as easy as being nice to yourself and using positive words. Everyone has an inner voice. Make sure that yours is being kind to you. What kind words would you use to speak to someone that you love and appreciate?

Whatever those words are should be the same ones you use to speak to yourself. In other words, don’t hate yourself. Use words that are judgement-free. When you make a mistake, rather than reprimanding yourself, take it easy and remind yourself of all the times when you did amazing things. Being aware of how you speak to yourself will help you learn how to appreciate yourself.

Treat Yourself to Gifts

What better way is there to show yourself appreciation? And honestly…why not? You can treat yourself to material gifts like new clothes, flowers, makeup, and a vacation, or gift yourself a little bit of relaxation.

Give yourself the gift of a spa day, a day off of work, or just a nice long walk. Give yourself a gift because you love and want to thank yourself, not because you expect it.

Keep a Self-Appreciation Journal

Journals are always a great idea. Writing things out can help you look at situations with a fresh pair of eyes and discover things you may have never realized about yourself. Not only does keeping a self-appreciation journal remind you what you are grateful for throughout the years, but it can also help you form the healthy self-appreciation habit of taking some time for yourself. 

Be Yourself

This one is self-explanatory. When you are self-appreciative, you are comfortable with just being. Accept who you are as a person and embrace both your strengths and weaknesses. When you appreciate yourself, you don’t hate yourself. You are instead grateful for all that you are and all that you have and you don’t have to pretend to be anyone else.

Self-appreciation isn’t optional. It’s an important part of living your best life. Whatever you do, never stop searching for new experiences, challenging yourself, and accomplishing things. Surround yourself with plenty of positivity and don’t hate yourself–believe in yourself. Only then will you truly learn to self-appreciate.