When it comes to love and life advice, there are plenty of different opinions and ideals. But almost everyone will agree that before you can experience true love for another person, you must have a healthy degree of love for yourself. The more kindness, acceptance, and compassion you show yourself, the easier and more natural it becomes to share those same values with other people.

Romantic relationships thrive when both parties not only express love for their partner but also for themselves. But why is this the case?

Self-love is all about living your best life, showing up for yourself, and making decisions that protect, nourish, and inspire you to be the best you can be. When you do that, showing up for the people you love comes naturally!

Let’s take a look at six reasons why self-love is crucial and the many ways in which this life-giving characteristic affects relationships.

What Is Self-Love?

Self-love is often described as “a regard for one’s own happiness.” But, in truth, it goes much deeper than that. Self-love is about understanding your own strengths and weaknesses and choosing to see yourself in a compassionate but honest light, no matter who you’re dating or not dating at the time.

In the context of a relationship, practicing self-love means loving and prioritizing yourself just as much as you love and prioritize your partner—and when needed, sometimes more. Self-love is the precursor of love in all its beautiful shapes and forms.

Self-Love Is Self Confidence

To show up as the best possible partner for your loved one, you need to have a healthy sense of self and self-esteem. Confidence is sexy. But more importantly, it creates a solid foundation on which to build a strong sense of identity. This ultimately enables you to approach relationships with more certainty and self-assurance.

Self-love acts and practices such as daily affirmations, exercise, and learning new skills are all things that naturally improve self-confidence and make you a more dynamic and courageous person. This is a great position to be in for anyone who wants to pursue healthy, long-term relationships.

2. Self-Love Inspires Healthy Independence

Co-dependence is one of the most common forms of relationship dysfunction. Fortunately, there are many ways to prevent this behavioral pattern from negatively impacting your life. One of them is connected to self-care.

Self-love and self-care rituals help us reconnect with ourselves on a deeper level and understand more about what we want out of life. It can also provide the necessary time and reflection for identifying future goals, whether they’re financial, emotional, professional, or otherwise.

By actively spending more time with yourself doing the things you love without the distraction of a partner or friend, you can become a more balanced and self-aware individual, both of which are traits that facilitate natural independence.

3. Lack Of Self-Love Can Make You Self-Destructive

Self-love can help us cultivate a healthier, more honest internal dialogue. People who seek out destructive activities (or people) often behave that way because they have low self-esteem. However, practicing healthy self-care can change that.

Without a loving relationship with yourself, it can be challenging to make decisions about your life that are genuinely sustainable and growth-oriented.

For instance, many people who experience self-loathing or negative emotions toward themselves may struggle to resist destructive patterns of behavior. The more love you show yourself, the easier it becomes to seek out partnerships and situations that actively uplift you rather than bring you down.

4. Self-Love Helps You Avoid Dysfunctional Partnerships

A lack of self-love can sadly make you more vulnerable to dysfunctional or harmful relationship dynamics. The more stable and healthy your relationship with yourself is, the more stable and healthy the relationships you seek out tend to be.

For example, it’s often people who’ve been emotionally malnourished or trapped in a cycle of toxicity who struggle to maintain healthy relationships. This is because we tend to gravitate towards people who feel familiar to us, even if that comes at the cost of our own pain or discomfort.

Yet, it doesn’t have to be that way. By working on building yourself up both psychologically and emotionally, you can direct more love towards yourself and set boundaries where they’re needed.

5. Meet Your Own And Your Partners Needs More Easily With Self-Love

Self-love also means loving your body. This can extend to self-intimacy and self-exploration, which can lead to a greater desire to share a more intimate connection with your partner. And, the more intimate your relationship, the stronger it will be and the closer you’ll feel to one another.

Being in touch with your wants, needs, and desires and knowing how to find intense pleasure on your own can also make you a better, more open partner. Plus, self-intimacy can teach you about your body and help you to appreciate it more.

Knowing what really makes you feel good will have a ripple effect on your romantic relationship, as you can not only anticipate and meet your own needs but will be more open to helping your partner meet theirs.

6. Self-Love Is The Gateway To True Love

Let’s clarify something quickly: everyone is capable of love. Whether you practice healthy self-love or not, your ability to experience and show love for others never disappears.

However, a lack of self-love can lead us to make poor relationship decisions and limit our ability to experience genuine, conditionless love for the people in our lives. On that same note, a healthy self-love dynamic can lay the foundation for more fulfilling, stable, and powerful relationships, whether romantic, platonic, familial, or otherwise.

This is what we mean when we say that self-love is the gateway, or catalyst, for true love. So, if you’re craving deeper, richer relationships in your life, start by focusing on your relationship with yourself.

Love Yourself First

Without self-love, sustainable romantic love can struggle to blossom. The more respect, love, and appreciation you show for yourself, the easier it is to pour that love into the people around you.

By practicing regular self-care activities, anyone can further their self-love journey and boost the quality and depth of the relationships in their lives.