The line between self-love and selfishness and arrogance can sometimes appear rather thin and blurred at times, but it's very important to remember that they are very different things, in fact, they are polar opposites in many cases.

What is self-love

Self-love is the love you have for yourself. It's the love you have for your own happiness, your own well-being, and your own value. It's the love that allows you to be kind to yourself, no matter what situation you're in.

Self-love is about having a connection with your true self, about loving every part of your body, the good and the bad. Self-love will take a while to become second nature, but the more you practice it, the more naturally it will come to you.

What is the difference between self-love and selfish love?

Self-love is all about embracing yourself the way you are. Selfish love is more about making everything in your life about you. Yes, you are a very important person, but so is everyone else in the world. Selfish love often comes across as arrogance, whereas self-love does not. Self-love is not pushed into people's faces, whereas selfish love is.

How is it different from being selfish?

Self-love is not about taking care of yourself only at your own expense. It's not about thinking of yourself only in terms of what you want or need. Self-love is about caring for yourself in a way that will benefit you both now and in the future.

Being selfish would be putting your wants and needs in front of every other person AND forcing everyone around you to do the same for you. Being selfish would be not caring about the thoughts, feelings and emotions of those around you.

How can I do self-love without being selfish?

The important question! Trying to love yourself whilst still staying humble and appreciative of those around you is easier than you might think. The best piece of advice I can give you is to set your boundaries and appreciate others' boundaries.

What I mean by this is saying no to things you don't want to do or don't align well with you. Say no to going out on a Friday night when all you want to do is curl up with a good book and blanket. Say no when someone puts you down, and tell them that comments like that are not welcome.

But you also need to be aware of other people's boundaries and don't overstep those boundaries. If someone doesn't want you constantly talking about self-love, it's time to stop endlessly talking about it.

If someone doesn't want to be a vegan, don't make them feel bad for their choices. And most importantly on that subject, if you are out with a vegan or vegetarian, ask them if they mind you eating meat! BOUNDARIES! I'm sure people could go one day without meat (don't @ me, I'm a meat eater), and if you are expecting them to respect your boundaries, you better do the same to them.

Anymore Advice Amy?

The last piece of advice I will leave you with is to make sure you are carving out some time for yourself to practice self-love. Actively practising self-love will help you to be more in tune with what you need for self-love.