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ENTITY-self-love-books

If I were to make a diagnosis of all the symptoms that our generations suffer from, lack of self-love would be at the top of my list.

It’s actually not that complicated. Most of the things that bother us stem from the fact that we don’t like ourselves. We look into the mirror and cringe at the sight of our bodies, our outfit and our makeup. We second-guess every decision we make, from what to have for lunch to which career path to pursue. Our brains are constantly overloaded with all the negative, the doubt, the what-ifs.

The right amount of stress and criticism helps us grow.  But too much criticism may discourage us from believing that we are worthy of unconditional joy.

But don’t worry, you don’t have to get there alone. Among a ton of books on self-love, here are five that take care of you with mindfulness and provide practical tips and principles for actual application.

1. Mastering Your Mean Girl: The No-BS Guide To Silencing Your Inner Critic And Becoming Wildly Wealthy, Fabulously Healthy, And Bursting With Love

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In “Mastering Your Mean Girl”, Melissa Ambrosini brings out the mean girl in her readers, teaching us to kill her with kindness. Mean girl, in this context, isn’t the annoying bitches in high school. Instead, Ambrosini used mean girl to pinpoint the inner voice that has been feeding us self-deprecating comments and never-ending negativity. In this book, you learn to silence the voice at the back of our head that always tells you you can’t, you will never, and you are not good enough.

Ambrosini then shares the key to combat our mean girls- love. She challenged her audience to identify and differentiate the motives behind their action- did you do that out of fear or love? Fear is the desperate grasp to hold on to anything and everything, while love propels you to make the thoughtful choice of what is right and best for you. If you feel that your life is being driven by fear, Ambrosini encourages you to break the bad habit of limiting self-love to moments of accomplishment. Self-love should be unconditional. 

2. How To Love Yourself (And Sometimes Other People): Spiritual Advice For Modern Relationships

ENTITY-self-love-books

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If you are like me, then you’ll probably find that nothing rattles self-image and self-love more than interpersonal relationships. The more intimate the bond, the more self-deprecating it can be if it goes bad. In “How to Love Yourself”, Meggan Watterson and Rinzler Lodro talk about how to ride through the ups and downs of a relationship cycle that can ultimately affect self-love. They explore every possible aspect of the cycle – deep friendship, falling in love, sex, self-worth, breakup and falling out of love. They also give tips on how to take the ups and downs of relationships with an open and accepting heart.

3. Pretty Happy: Healthy Ways To Love Your Body

ENTITY-self-love-books

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A public darling, Kate Hudson was always asked, “What do you eat? How do you stay so fit? What is your secret?” We are all in luck as Hudson revealed her secrets in fostering self-love and positive body image in her book. She advises that you must start cultivating an intuitive relationship with your own body, putting effort into choosing your diet, taking some time out to meditate, and appreciating your body. The best part is that this book is not a cliche celebrity tell-all. Hudson shows us her journey in maintaining positive body image and obtaining self-love. Instead of shoving her plans down our throats, she gives us suggestions on how to improve our diets and grasp our physical states.

4. Unfu*k Yourself

ENTITY-self-love-books

Photo via Unsplash/ @ricardomancia

Get ready for some real talk. Gary John Bishop talks like the grumpy coach that reminds you of what you need to do to get to the finish line. He will NOT go easy on you, but he will make sure you get your shit done.

In his book, Bishop sent a simple message that will slap you into action: This world doesn’t give a fuck about whether or not you are in the right mental state to get our shit together. You just have to do it. Bishop urged us to quit dwelling on the what-ifs and get off our asses to take action.  That’s where we get the answers we are looking for. In addition, he also wants us to stop telling ourselves “I will be great”, and replacing it with “Duh. I AM great already.”

 

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