Becoming best friends with yourself: it is possible and this is why your life becomes more enjoyable

Dear me, what shall we do today? Do you feel like a nice cup of coffee to start the day? Yes, right? Are you already hungry? I can lovingly make something for you. You like yogurt with granola in the morning, right? I have those beautiful new bowls to put it in. Wait, I'm coming!

Well, self-love. Becoming buddies with yourself. It is the best friendship to invest in. This is how you do it.

Be mindful
People who have already climbed the self-love ladder are generally more aware of what they feel, think, and want. They are aware of who they are and act accordingly instead of conforming to someone else. Connect with yourself and ask yourself: do you often make choices for yourself or because others expect this from you? If the answer is the latter, then it’s time for the next step.

Set Boundaries
The clichés are all true: saying ‘yes’ to yourself sometimes also means saying ‘no’ to someone else. For example, saying ‘no’ to a toxic love, a project that you are not really excited about, or a friend who you feel drains your energy. Things happen for a reason. You owe no one anything. Saying no and setting boundaries is totally okay and important.

Take responsibility
Don't expect your partner to make you happy. They can't. Which is actually good news, because hey, that's you yourself. Give yourself the love you need. Live according to your own values and standards. But first, you need to know what those are. How well do you know yourself? Do you know what you need? If you don't know what you're looking for, you won't find it either. Then it’s time for the next step.

Spend time with yourself
And by that, I mean without. Distraction. From. Phone. Netflix. Friends. Who are you when all distractions fall away? You might be a lot more fun than you think. A lot more creative than you think. A lot more loving than you think. By spending time with yourself without technology (walking, meditating, baking something delicious, getting creative) you discover who you really are and what you need to be happy. And then you will often see: that is less than you think.

Forgive yourself
You are human. Things go wrong. Thank god for that. Because in the things that go wrong, lie the biggest lessons. So forgive yourself when something goes wrong. Mistakes don't actually exist. The most successful people have made the most mistakes, get up the most often, and keep going. We tend to be hard on ourselves.

Go at your own pace
There is no express train you can hop on to experience more self-love, and you don't need that either. It is a process that goes step by step. An interesting journey where you learn a lot about yourself, including the downs. Buckle up and enjoy the ride, darling. Life is about to begin.