ANNABELLE PSYCHOLOGY
周泳伶临床心理诊所
clinical psychologists
If you find that you are starting to dread going to work, getting overwhelmed, or are hatching an escape plan in the immediate future – you might be experiencing burnout.
If you find that you are starting to dread going to work, getting overwhelmed, or are hatching an escape plan in the immediate future – you might be experiencing burnout.
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Life can be demanding. At times, so much so that it significantly overwhelms our ability to cope and manage.
When this happens, we may feel heavy with emotions, as though we are barely hanging on by a thread. This experience of physical and mental exhaustion can take a great toll on us.
Life can be demanding. At times, so much so that it significantly overwhelms our ability we cope and manage. When this happens, we may feel heavy with emotions, as though we are barely hanging on by a thread. This experience physical and mental exhaustion can takes a great toll on us.
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Do you find it hard to control your emotions? Do you find yourself getting angry, anxious, or sad at the drop of a hat?
If your answer is yes, chances are you might be experiencing emotional dysregulation.
Do you find it hard to control your emotions? Do you find yourself getting angry, anxious, or sad at the drop of a hat? If your answer is yes, chances are you might be experiencing emotional dysregulation. While unpleasant and intense emotions are part and parcel of life, emotional dysregulation occurs when you are unable to manage your emotions adaptively or appropriately, to the point where it interferes with your quality of life, social interactions, and relationships at home, work, or school.
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Mental health has never been a more crucial aspect of the workplace, especially since the pandemic.
Mental health has never been a more crucial aspect of the workplace, especially since the pandemic. As such, the workplace plays a vital role in fostering and building such an environment. Just this year, Singapore was ranked the top four most overworked cities in the world, just after Dubai, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur.
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Have you ever been to a carnival with a house of mirrors?
There never seems to be a way out that you can find without slamming face first into your own reflection. Some mirrors even make you appear distorted, and you begin to questions which parts of this experience are real. To victims of gaslighting, this is an analogy of what it might feel like to be gaslighted.
(clue: it is not lighting a fire using gas)
Gaslighting is an insidious form of psychological manipulation that can have a profound effect on the individuals affected by it.
Gaslighting is a term used to describe when someone intentionally, and often successfully, manipulates another person into questioning their own memory, judgement, or reality. It is a form of psychological manipulation that occurs over a gradual period where the perpetrator takes advantage of a target by sowing seeds of doubt within them.
A gaslighter (aka the abuser) may use tactics such as making false statements (which they will strenuously deny if challenged), disagreement with factual information and downplaying emotions, all in an effort to make the victim doubt their own perceptions.
Over time, victims are not only unsure about their perceptions of reality and even their own thoughts, but come to rely on the abuser to tell them the “truth” about.
The ultimate goal of gaslighting is to de-legitimise a victim’s thoughts and to cause them to question themselves. This can occur via a variety of techniques and behaviours that the gaslighter employs, which may look like:
Lying – “That’s not what I said, I said this…”
Discrediting – Telling people around you that they are concerned about your recent behaviour and that you might be “crazy”.
Distracting/Deflecting – “Why did you bring this up? What about the time you….”
Minimizing thoughts and feelings – “Why are you so sensitive?”
Shifting blame – “I only behave this way because you did so first. I wouldn’t do it if it weren’t for you.”
Denying wrongdoing – “I didn’t do anything wrong”
Changing the storyline – Retelling stories by changing it so that the storyline is in their favour.
While gaslighting often occurs in romantic or familial relationships, it can sometimes occur in the workplace, with friends, or in schools. Several teachers in Singapore even complained about being “gaslighted” by an AI Chatbot designed to provide “AI therapy”!
Gaslighting is often employed by narcissistic individuals looking to evade accountability.
By redirecting attention onto the supposed flaws or shortcomings of others, it reduces the likelihood of their own flaws being discovered. They might also believe that they are never at fault, naturally it would be easier to put the blame on others when things don’t go their way. As long as the victim believes they are flawed and need help, the gaslighter would never have to take responsibility for their actions and can continue behaving in the way they do.
Being gaslighted can make you feel extremely alone and dependent on the abuser. It may feel as if everyone around you thinks you have issues or even to the extent of feeling crazy, just as the abuser would describe. As you begin feeling more isolated, the behaviour of the abuser becomes more normal since there is nothing else to compare it to.
Gaslighting has significant negative effects and can cause emotional trauma to the victim. Children exposed to traumatic events and abuse in childhood can become hypersensitive to such threats, and reduce their resistance to stressful events in future. Trauma can also lead to difficulties in emotional regulation in adulthood, alongside other physical issues such as somatic symptoms or heart disease.
Prolonged emotional abuse can also lead to a loss in self-esteem, as you constantly feel that you’re never enough. You might begin wondering if you can believe in yourself to do anything correctly, or if you’re to blame for everything that has gone wrong. You might feel incapable of judging the situation realistically, and if you can accurately remember the details of situations. You might feel obliged to continue to stay in the abusive situation because it might feel like no one would believe you or want you anyway.
You might even feel nervous or afraid to say things, lest the abuser retaliates or no one believes you. Gaslighting can lead to psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression or even psychosis.
Unfortunately, gaslighting can be incredibly hard to detect without an outside perspective which could make it incredibly difficult for victims to identify what’s happening and take action before it’s too late. On the surface, what might seem as an innocuous quarrel between a couple or might in reality be more complex than a mere argument between two individuals.
It can be difficult to spot gaslighting within a relationship as the signs can appear “normalised” to you after some time. Recurring manipulation and abuse, coupled with the feelings of isolation and reduced self-esteem, causes the individual to constantly doubt themselves and the reality that surrounds them.
If you identify with some of these emotions and suspect that you are being gaslighted, the following are several signs that can indicate gaslighting behaviour.
“Nope, that didn’t happen”
“Your memory is getting so bad!”
“You’re being so sensitive”
These statements are often used by gaslighters to manipulate you.
While they might be common statements used in many arguments, it is important to note that these statements are often used throughout by the gaslighter in the relationship. This happens often enough such that it forms a consistent pattern in a relationship.
When expressing your needs or concerns, the gaslighter often invalidates you by calling you oversensitive, convincing you that you’re unstable, and how everyone around you thinks you’re crazy.
When it comes to finger pointing, no one can beat a gaslighter. As soon as you bring up a topic that is concerning to you, they either change the topic or manage to turn it around to pin the blame on you for something completely irrelevant.
When you begin second guessing your own judgment and perceptions of events that happened, it almost feels as if you lost your identity and status as an individual. Perhaps you begin wondering if everything the gaslighter is saying is true, that you’re weak and not enough, that you’re too sensitive, and you cannot stand up for yourself. You start to wonder if you’ve been like this all this while. Perhaps it’s true and you begin to accept it.
What happens when you start convincing yourself that it is not as bad as it seems? You just have to be careful every time you interact with them and ensure not to say the wrong thing, right? You become afraid to voice your opinions for fear of getting shot down or because you’ve learnt that your opinions don’t matter anymore. You live as though you’re always on the edge of your seat and get spooked by every little thing.
Here are a few steps you can take to protect yourself from being gaslighted.
When you find yourself being gaslighted, understand that the abuser might be overwhelmed and unable to control the words that they use. That does not mean that it is okay, hence you should try to end the conversation as soon as possible. Set appropriate boundaries and let them know that you do not wish to continue the conversation if they are only going to continue to berate you.
Recording conversations and saving receipts of text messages can help you remember that your reality is not based off of what one person says. It helps you recall that you’re not the one that remembered things wrongly or did something that you didn’t. Do be careful when confronting an abuser with evidence, for it might result in an even more explosive outburst.
When you’ve lived in the world of the abuser for too long, it can be difficult to identify what’s real and what’s not. A trusted individual outside of the relationship (perhaps an old friend of yours) can help to give a different perspective from yours, helping you untangle the web of distortion.
Being a victim of gaslighting can feel invalidating, dismissive, and most of all, lonely. Keep in mind the abuser wants to make you forget about who you once were, before the relationship. This process can be gruelling especially if you’ve been a victim for a long time. Do not hesitate to reach out to us for help!
Feeling emotionally insecure puts you in a constant state of vulnerability, and this can be exhausting.
You may feel a lot of self-doubt, questioning your capabilities and achievements. You may be engaging in negative self-talk – “No one wants to hang out with me because I’m ugly, boring, and useless”.
Interacting with an emotionally insecure person may also be difficult because (1) you may find it challenging to think of an appropriate reply to their expressed negativity, and (2) some individuals can get very defensive when topics of their personal insecurities are brought up, regardless of intentionality.
Emotional security develops from as early as childhood, when personal parent-child relationship(s) are critical.
When an individual does not have a secure base during childhood (inconsistent support, caregivers(s) not readily available to meet their needs, lack of validation and comfort during distress, etc), they may grow up with an insecure attachment. An insecure attachment refers to feelings of uncertainty and fearfulness of what is to come. During adulthood, this manifests as individual charactered by a poor self-image and high levels of anxiety.
People who experience high levels of insecurity also tend to have a highly critical inner voice. This critical inner voice may stem from traumatic or painful early life experiences that the individual either experienced or witnessed firsthand, or indirectly through close others.These experiences can be unconsciously integrated as one grows up and expressed as patterns of destructive/sabotage-like thoughts towards oneself and/or others.
The expression of negative affect from one’s parents during childhood until adolescence also contributes to emotional insecurity. Examples include hostility and/or irritability expressed towards the child or another individual in the presence of the child.
Emotional insecurity can stem from negative experiences encountered by an individual. Examples of such experiences include: failing a task, being rejected by another individual, lack of validation for effort and results). While the effects of negative experiences differ from person to person, we can all agree that being judged by another individual is often daunting and discouraging.
An individual with anxiety or depression may be more prone to emotional insecurity due to their core beliefs about themselves and/or others. Perfectionist may also find it difficult to keep up to their high and sometimes unrealistic expectations consistently, which leads to feelings of insecurity.
We are often our biggest and harshest critic.
“How can I be so stupid?”
“If only I did this and that, it is all my fault.”
Sounds familiar?
Getting out of a spiral of negative self-talk is easier said than done. It may seem almost impossible to manage these discouraging thoughts. They can be loud and incredibly persuasive. That said, with sufficient practice, this can be overcome.
Establish a clear boundary when it comes to negative self-talk. Instead of having your inner voice speak in first person, attempt to have them in second person. For example, instead of “How can I be so stupid?”, try “How can you be so stupid?”. This allows you to internally process the critics as external rather than internal criticisms. This may be a tough and emotional first step but trust the process.
Think about what thoughts and feelings are triggered when you speak critically towards yourself in a second person perspective. Does it trigger some memories in the past? Do some of the words sound familiar from early life experiences, be it from your parents or friends? This step is helpful in revealing some root causes of the harsh self-criticism(s) and some discrepancies between your true and critiqued self.
This next step may feel a little awkward or unnatural, but stay with us. Pick up a pen or a recorder and write or vocalize in second person one criticism or insecurity. Answer the criticism or insecurity truthfully just like you would to a friend. This step can help debunk some deep-rooted untrue fact(s) about yourself in the present moment. For example, you could have an insecurity about your bloated tummy after a meal. Think about how much your body has done and is doing for you, and the natural processes that occurs before, during and after a meal. Writing or speaking to yourself just like how you would to a friend can bring out the rational and logical side of you, easing the process of debunking some negative self-talks you may experience in your daily life.
Think about how these negative self-talks are influencing/affecting your day-to-day life. Do you catch yourself being highly defensive when someone speaks to you about an insecurity? Catch how these negative self-talks is affecting your life in terms of your thoughts, opinions, feelings and actions.
This is the last, and possibly the hardest step. Take small actionable steps to change the influence your negative self-talks have on your behavior. For example, if you are internally thinking: “You are going to be rejected from that job.”, and if this usually deters you for going for a potential opportunity, attempt step three, and go for it. It is time to interrupt those negative thoughts depriving you from new opportunities and experiences, unleash your true self. You will feel some form of internal discomfort, from greater anxiety to louder negative inner voice. However, do not give into those voices, pull yourself apart from what they are telling you and through perseverance, they will weaken over time. Think of negative self-talks as evil creatures trying to lure you into their little bubble, depriving you of potentially good life experiences and fruitful learning opportunities.
Everyone goes through periods of uncertainty and doubt for various reasons. So, when do you know that your emotional insecurities are getting out of hand?
Ask yourself the following questions:
Does it affect your day-to-day functioning?
Are you able to get out of the rut and move on with your day after getting your work proposal rejected?
Should you find yourself struggling to move on with this feeling of inferiority that is disrupting your daily living, reach out for professional help. Our clinical and counselling psychologists strive to create a safe and non-judgemental space to work with you through this journey towards confidence and well-being. Being your vulnerable authentic self helps your psychologist help you.
Differing based on each individual’s needs, wants and goals, the psychologist will work closely with you to help you better manage your underlying and present difficulties. Behavioural, cognitive and/or affective approach(es) may be adopted. These approaches all have one overarching aim:
To challenge unhealthy thoughts/feelings you may have towards yourself
Teaching you techniques to overcome these thoughts/feelings
Making actionable steps to change your behaviour caused by those thoughts/feelings
These insecurities may seem tough, or even impossible to overcome. If you find yourself struggling to get by the day due to those internal voices, do not feel afraid to reach out to a mental health professional. Take it day by step and applaud all that progress you make, regardless of how small it may be. You’re not alone in this battle.
When someone you love breaks your trust & heart
Betrayal can hurt as badly as a physical wound. Do you allow the hurt feelings to hold you captive or put them behind you? How do you move past the hurt and begin to heal?
Betrayal comes in many forms. Not limited to infidelity, betrayal can include breaking promises, lying or withholding information, not prioritising a relationship, or disclosing information that was shared in confidence. It can be experienced by anyone, and is not exclusive to any gender.
Betrayal entails the violation of someone’s trust and confidence. When people enter a committed relationship, they agree to live by the core values of a relationship (e.g., trust, commitment, respect). When one partner breaks the bond of trust, it erodes the foundation of the relationship. It affects the betrayed partner’s self-esteem and makes them doubt their self-worth. It also leaves the betrayed partner feeling confused as they begin to doubt everything the betrayer has said and done. People who have been betrayed may find it difficult to trust people, which hinders them from forming meaningful relationships.
The betrayal might have come as a shock to you. It is often difficult to wrap our minds around how and why a trusted confidante would betrayed you. However, to heal, you need to recognise and accept that the betrayal has happened. This does not mean that you are fine with it but as a stepping stone, you need to acknowledge that the act took place.
Anger, sadness, disgust, insecurity, and loneliness — You might experience a whirlwind of emotions in the aftermath of a betrayal. These are legitimate feelings of betrayal. Do not deny or suppress them. Label these feelings. You may even want to write them down.
Avoid the person physically and electronically, if possible. Taking time away will reduce the intensity of your negative emotions, placing you in a better position to rationally think and process what had happened. You should not feel pressured to make a decision in response to the betrayal.
Allow yourself to grieve the relationship that you have lost. In some cases, you may also be grieving the future that you had imagined. During the recovery process, you may experience the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Note that this is not a linear process. You may find it helpful to journal your thoughts and what you felt are your losses.
It is normal to feel the urge to get back at the person who betrayed you and make them suffer. Planning revenge will only delay your healing process, and prolong your pain.
Emotional support from your loved ones will be crucial during this stressful time. Speak with someone whom you trust. If you are not comfortable, you need not share what happened. You can share your feelings and thoughts about the incident, or just seek companionship from your loved ones. It would be best to find someone who can stay neutral, and not add fuel to the fire.
Examine your relationship, and be realistic about it. Some issues might have existed in your relationship before the betrayal. Your relationship did not turn sour overnight. It would be a good time for you to figure out how much the relationship means to you to determine if you should salvage or end the relationship. After gaining insights into the problems, you could then think about how things need to change should you and your partner wish to continue the relationship.
An example of a thought journal to help you to better understand the links between your thoughts and feelings, and make sense of them
When you feel ready, have a conversation with the person who betrayed you. Let the person know how their actions made you feel. To prevent the person from getting defensive, try to focus on the impact on you rather than what they did. One way would be to use the “I” statements which starts with “I”, e.g.., “I felt hurt and angry when you…”.
Allow the person to share their side of the story too so that you can understand how the betrayal came about. Note if they are trying to defend their actions or genuinely seeking forgiveness.
See if you can forgive the betrayer. Forgiveness does not mean condoning the action; it is deciding to move past the hurt and move on with your life. Forgiveness is for you, not for the other person. Feelings of resentment and bitterness from the lack of forgiveness will take a toll on your physical and emotional well-being.
If you wish to continue the relationship, forgiveness will be crucial to bring the relationship forward. You could let the person know that you have decided to forgive them but explain that it will take time for you.
You have to decide if you want to forgive the person and rebuild the relationship, or end it for good. You may also consider a temporary separation as an option. Some considerations underlying this decision include:
Is the person a repeat offender?
Was it unintentional?
Does the person acknowledge the pain that they have inflicted on you?
Is the person genuinely remorseful?
Has the person accepted responsibility for their actions?
You may feel somewhat responsible, and wonder what you might have done wrong. Do not blame yourself for the betrayal. The person has to take responsibility for their actions.
Forgive yourself for saying and doing things on the spur-of-the-moment when you discovered the betrayal.
Be patient with yourself. Recovering from the hurt is a tough journey. Do not rush yourself to move on. Engage in self-care activities such as eating well, getting enough sleep, and spending time doing things you enjoy.
If you find yourself ruminating on the betrayal and hurt, or your behaviours have changed since the betrayal and they are impairing your daily life, seek guidance from a mental health professional. Professional help could also address the damage the betrayal has caused to your sense of identity, self-esteem, and sense of security. Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
If you are dealing with romantic betrayal, you could speak with our marriage and family therapists (Ling Ling and Wendy) and our clinical psychologists who have experience working with couples who struggle with marriage and family difficulties (e.g., Yuka).
Moving past from the hurt of a betrayal is a painful and difficult journey. Some days may be tougher than the rest where you just wish to wallow in self-pity and wound the betrayer back. These responses and acute negative emotions are normal. The key is to remain kind to yourself and lean on your loved ones throughout this recovery process.
Staying afloat in what seems like a rip current
You’re in pain. You feel numb. This is a time in your life that the pain is so overwhelming that it seems like there is no way out. When this happens, suicidal thoughts may swarm your mind, (erroneously) presenting itself as the only solution.
Often, it’s not that you want to end your life, but rather, are seeking an escape from the unbearable pain and numbness.
You are not alone. Many others have experienced this pain and entertained suicidal thoughts – in 2020, Singapore recorded 452 suicide deaths while Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) reported over 39,000 suicide and crisis related calls.
Many, however, struggle alone with their pain in our local mental health landscape where suicide is deemed taboo. It’s high time we embrace conversations around suicide. Let’s start by going through what may keep you afloat in what appears to be a rip current.
Your pain and suicidal thoughts may seem overwhelming in the moment. You don’t have to act on your thoughts now. You may have had them previously. Recall how the distressing emotions and suicidal thoughts came and left. How you feel today may not be how you feel tomorrow or the week later - feelings will pass.
The gist of a safety plan is to list the key things you can do to keep yourself safe during a crisis. This is an extremely important step, and we care for you and have created a template for your own safety plan. Fill in the plan and keep it somewhere you can easily access and refer to it whenever the urge to hurt or kill yourself arises.
You could write down the people whom you can contact to help you feel better and the places where you would feel safe (e.g., your bedroom, friend’s house).
Stay away from things that you could use to harm yourself, such as pills and razor or even keys that unlock your window grills. Get a trusted friend or family member to safeguard them on your behalf until you are more in control of your thoughts and feelings.
Grounding techniques work when we might feel like our mind’s just spiralling out of control, and we’re being pulled in all directions because of it.
To gather back the control of our minds or focus, take a few moments to try out the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique:
Name 5 things you can see (like the colours on this page),
Name 4 things you can feel (like the phone or device in your hand),
Name 3 things you can hear (like birds, music or people talking)
Name 2 things you can smell (like hand creams, perfumes, coffee)
Name 1 thing you can taste (like a mint, tea, food)
This could look like spending time with your family and friends even if you do not talk about your feelings, going for a walk in the park, watching a movie and playing games.
Engage in those activities even if your body and mind tell you not to, and note how you feel after.
Make a list of the things that you are thankful for in your life. Think about your family and friends whom you love, the sights and sounds that you can experience and delight in. You could also affirm your strengths.
These are the reasons you continue going, the kind of reality you wish to build for yourself that helps make space for your pain, but also comforts you in the hard moments. This is the version of you, and your life, that you would be proud of.
Asking for help is hard, but it is the bravest thing you can do for yourself. Reach out to someone you trust to share your feelings and how you have been coping or struggling. They may be startled when they first hear about it but know that they want to help. Let them know how you want them to support you if you have an idea (e.g., check in on you every night, call the emergency hotline for you during a crisis).
Besides approaching your friends and family, you could join a support group. It is a powerful tool that helps you feel supported. People with similar experiences would come together to share their struggles and tips to overcome them.
If you find it too hard to talk to a loved one and you just want to hear a voice, call the crisis helpline. They could help to direct you to relevant resources or professional help.
Lastly, connect with an experienced mental health professional who will work with you to manage your difficult emotions and suicidal thoughts in a safe, nonjudgmental, and supportive space.
Self-love, or even love itself, is hard to define. There is no universal definition, and we probably define and experience self-love differently. How you achieve self-love is also unique! One way to understand self-love is from a psychological standpoint, where self-love refers to an authentic appreciation for yourself.
We generally associate narcissism with a significant level of perceived self-appreciation. While narcissistic tendencies are typically observed during interpersonal interactions, practising self-love can be a private and internal process that is unobservable to others. The primary goal with self-love is to develop a positive self-concept. Whereas with narcissism, the goal might be to gain external admiration or regard. Another defining feature of narcissism is the perceived lack of awareness or care for others’ thoughts and feelings. Comparatively, a person who is self-loving can still be caring and compassionate.
To avoid becoming narcissistic, routinely remind yourself of personal core values like humility, kindness, or forgiveness. Additionally, keep in mind the type of person you aspire to be and aim to mould yourself into that person. Your values will help prevent any grandiosity or inflated self-esteem.
You might not be aware of it, but you may already be practising some acts of self-love. These acts demonstrate a sincere appreciation or recognition for yourself or something you did. For example, patting yourself on the back when setting boundaries, forgiving yourself when you fail to accomplish a task or even just challenging thoughts of self-doubt.
There are certain times in life when practising self-love could be an important coping strategy for your mental well-being. This is particularly so when your inner critic is being overly harsh, in need of a mood booster, or if you are struggling with your self-esteem. When your internal dialogue is critical and negative, practising some self-love could help lift your spirits.
Unhelpful habits refer to excessive, unsustainable or even counterintuitive patterns of thought or behaviour. Some criticism is commonly believed to be motivation to work harder or do better, but it is imperative to stop yourself from going too far. Excessive or disproportionate criticism and self-judgement can pave the way to unhealthy cognitive distortions, or even lead to self-loathing.
The first step towards self-love is to recognise when you are being too self-critical. When you call yourself a failure, belittle yourself or beat yourself up over mistakes, catch yourself in these moments and just pause. Are you being too harsh on yourself? If your friend behaved similarly, would you feel the same way about them as you do about yourself now? Are you catastrophizing? Is the criticism an honest representation of who you are? These are some questions to ask yourself to combat self-judgment.
Another alternative to hitting pause on self-criticism would be mindfulness. Practising mindfulness regularly could potentially change unforgiving internal dialogue to be more nonjudgmental and curious. Mindfulness teaches you to be more fully present at any given moment. It guides you in approaching your internal or external experiences with curiosity and openness. You learn to just notice, rather than react. For some guided mindfulness practices curated by our own psychologists, click here.
Can you truly love yourself without some self-compassion? The point here is not to debate which is more vital, but rather to emphasise the connection betwee self-compassion and self-love. When you are kind to yourself, you let go of shortcomings. You may not be truly appreciative, but you learn to accept and forgive failures rather than holding grudges with yourself. This is a step closer to growing appreciation for yourself, even if you cannot see it yet. Some common self-compassion practices to boost self-love include loving kindness practices, curated mantras with self-affirmations, guided meditation exercises and keeping a self-compassion journal.
Learning more about yourself and the personal values that you cherish can increase some self-appreciation, especially when you behave or make decisions in line with your values. There are surveys online like the values in action (VIA) survey which can aid you in identifying your core values. Hence, discovering your core values can help to enhance self-appreciation.
Another way of learning your strengths or core values is to just ask your loved ones. Those who are closest to you may understand you more than you think, and you may discover sides of yourself you never knew existed.
Knowing how to love ourselves and be appreciative can be hard, especially in competitive environments that constantly compare us to others. Overtime, we may have learnt to internalise words of those around us, even when they do not necessarily have our best interests at heart. To combat this, forming a healthy internal dialogue and relationship with ourselves is essential to support our well-being. Hopefully, the tips above would guide you and eventually lead you to develop some genuine self-love.
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