Many of us struggle with self-love.

Despite its importance, many people continue to view themselves as inadequate or incompetent.

Every thought we have about ourselves is viewed in a negative light through self-defeating behaviour. It has become a part of our daily routines to highlight all our flaws and imperfections. Over 70% of girls aged 15-17 avoid normal daily activities when they feel bad about their looks. More than 40% of boys in high school have the goal of increasing muscle mass to look better and 75% of boys and girls with low self-esteem are engaging in negative activities like bullying, smoking and drinking.

But why is loving yourself so important?

Learning to love yourself can bring many changes into your life: the choices you make, your aspirations even your mental and physical health. Having a healthy self-esteem will lead you to stop seeking the approval of others. You will become more strong. You will start to enjoy being with yourself, just by learning to accept your differences and flaws.

So how do we form low self-esteem in the first place? Social media is a big factor. We are constantly trying to be someone we’re not to impress others or to feel good. We are continuously trying to keep up with trends and finding methods to make ourselves look more ‘pleasing’ or even ‘Instagram worthy’. Our society has become one where you’ve got to look and act a certain way to ‘fit in’. As teenagers (like me) continue to grow up in this society, the pressure becomes greater.

I decided to interview some students at Highvale Secondary College to see how they view themselves. One student in particular said, “Loving myself is hard. I find it easier to pick out all the things I dislike about myself but when it comes to what I like, I could sit there for ages and not be able to find one thing I like about myself.” This student is a good example of how loving oneself can be a challenge but is important for our wellbeing.

I personally find it hard to look past my differences and accept myself for who I am. Until I found out about a band named BTS. BTS is a Korean boy band consisting of seven amazingly talented and humble boys. They are also known as the “biggest boy band in the world”. They truly live up to that name. They have released a three-part album called the “Love Yourself” album where they teach people like me the importance of loving yourself. They have also partnered with UNICEF to start the LOVE MYSELF campaign and the global #ENDviolence to make the world a better place. Through their lyrics I’ve started to realise the importance of having a positive mindset about myself. I have swapped all my negative thoughts with positive ones and slowly but surely my self-esteem has started to improve.

Choosing to love yourself is a choice. A choice that I hope you will all consider. No matter your age, skin colour, religion or beliefs, you can learn to love yourself. Don’t let your past mistakes or flaws represent who you are. If you are someone who struggles with low self-esteem I encourage you to stop trying to get acceptance from others by being someone you’re not and start trying to accept yourself. Remove the mask that you are hiding behind and show the world everything that makes you, you. Loving yourself isn’t something that will happen overnight. It takes a lot of resilience and motivation to be able to do so. Don’t give up. Love yourself.