From the author: An intriguing title, isn't it? And if the article is useful and makes readers happier, then such a marketing move is justified! I have not in vain intrigued you, since we will talk about Self-Love - a category that requires popularization. From this article you, dear reader, will learn what self-love is, why it is important to have it at least at a minimum level and how to develop in yourself.About loveWhat is love? What place does it occupy in our lives? Delving into dictionaries, you can find the following definitions of love: Deep emotional attraction, strong heartfelt feeling (Ozhegov’s Explanatory Dictionary); A feeling of deep affection, selfless and sincere affection, based on: common interests, ideals, the willingness to give one’s strength to a common cause; mutual disposition , sympathy, intimacy; on instinct; on sexual desire (Ushakov’s Explanatory Dictionary) Constant, strong inclination, passion for something (Ozhegov’s Explanatory Dictionary); Predilection, taste for something (Ozhegov’s Explanatory Dictionary); Active interest in life and development object of love (Erich Fromm). How clearly and at the same time unsaid the dictionaries and philosophers interpret love! Every loving person will add something of their own to these definitions. Personally, I prefer E. Fromm’s definition. I am a practical person, and it is clearer to me how I can show self-love: from a position of interest in my happy life and development. I check my every action and every decision with the criterion “does this contribute to my development and happiness?” Self-love provides an emotional resource and motivation for active actions that support and develop a person. If you feel that you are mired in a routine, if it seems to you that you have stopped developing, then dislike has crept up very close to you... Being interested in your life and development, showing constructive activity towards yourself is what distinguishes a person who loves himself from others .How to love yourself? When developing a plan for developing self-love, I recommend that my clients understand what types of activities constitute behavior that can be called “this is how I love myself.” Here's a sample list: Then we set goals for change and look for ways to implement the action plan. What can you do first (zone of proximal development according to L. S. Vygotsky), and what can you put off until better times (not yet available for implementation). Numerous obstacles await a person on the path to developing self-love. Our thoughts and emotions can slow down the entire path to positive change. Apathy, boredom, uncertainty about the ability to change anything in our lives are what most often prevent us from loving ourselves. Read how to deal with negative emotions in my selection of articles. Understanding the topic of self-love and working with people on the requests “How to love yourself? How to increase self-esteem? How to stop putting moral pressure on yourself?”, I have accumulated a lot of practical and theoretical information. At that moment, an idea was born to me: what if we collect this information together, present it in accessible language, and make it widely available? It would be great if anyone interested in this topic could get systemic information in one place, while developing useful skills by consulting with a specialist in this field. As a result of my flight of fancy, a goal was formed: to create a course on self-love. It fulfills everything I dreamed of at the very beginning. Practical tasks, theory, the opportunity to exchange experiences between participants, consult with the creator of the course, that is, with me. The course has recently been published. I invite you to read it here. What do you want to do today to show yourself love? Yours Alexander Usoltsev, psychologist