How to be healthy, Part 4 of 5

When it comes to human needs, and fulfilling these needs in order to be healthy, the next stage after the social needs of a person are the esteem needs - self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, respect by others.

All of these esteem needs, in my eyes, come down to one thing and one thing only, and that is whether a person loves themselves or not. The word "esteem" comes from the similar word "estimate", which would show that "self-esteem" is a person's own estimate of themselves, or how much they feel that they are worth.

Obviously to feel that you are worth anything requires you to love yourself. When a person truly loves themself they can sure to be free of all mental ills, particularly the prevalence of depression. And once a person is at this stage of developing their human needs, it almost makes the lower or more primal human needs less important.

A person who loves themself is the type of person who will not partake in self-destructive lifestyle habits, like smoking, or alcoholism, and junk-food. And even when this person does "fall off the wagon" and have some food they know doesn't agree with them, or misses a workout session in the gym, the normal guilt that is associated with these behaviours is not there to accompany it.

A person who shows their love internally will have enough respect for themselves to choose a job or profession that nourishes them, and by also keeping hobbies and activities that allow them to manage a healthy balance between work and life.

In my professional opinion this level is equally as important as the first level of the physiological needs.

To improve your own "self-love", the best exercise by far is to openly and honestly acknowledge that you love yourself. Of course not in a conceited way, but in a way that shows your own achievement and confidence. Begin by looking in the mirror every morning, staring in your eyes, and saying "I love you" ten times. At first you might find this hard, but try your best, and it will make you feel fantastic when you finally get there.

Doing this in the morning you will then carry this love along with you in your day. Plus, you know what they say don't you? "You can only love another, as much as you love yourself!" So if you want to share love with your family, friends, or the world as a whole, you must begin with yourself.

Start by showing yourself how much you love you by eating good quality foods, exercising, sleeping, drinking plenty of clean water, and minimising your stressors.