11 | THE HUMAN CONNECTION
DESIGN BY MCKENNA PICKERING
I LOVE ME LIKE KANYE LOVES KANYE
The relationship you have with yourself is one of the most important relationships to maintain, yet one of the most commonly forgotten. By Ben Curtis Reporter
I
nstagram lifestyle influencers always seem so happy and fulfilled. The whole aesthetic of trendy health food, morning yoga and sparsely furnished homes as a path to wellness is simple, but infuriating. Yoga and trendy foods are costly and clutter does not simply vanish. Becoming healthy and happy isn’t as simple as Emma Chamberlain and Soul Cycle would want you to believe. Yet, these influencers are onto the basics of being healthy, happy and fulfilled, not only physically, but mentally. Health, happiness and fulfillment are ideals or values to strive for in your relationship with yourself. This relationship with yourself is the same as any other relationship, whether romantic or platonic. These relationships are constructed on paitence, time devoted and love. While romantic and platonic relationships are optional, a relationship with yourself is not. Sounds daunting, right? It’s quite simple and with patience and diligence, anyone can create and foster a healthy and happy relationship with themselves. Fulfillment and health are often compared to a pyramid with the basic blocks on the bottom being essential to the structure. Drinking plenty of water, sleeping for at least seven hours and eating well are highly beneficial. As students and adults in America, we often sacrifice health for convenience. Without performing the basic tasks of being healthy, you can’t hope to become truly fulfilled, happy nor accepting of yourself. Often the basic, common sense health suggestions are ignored, which leads to increased stress. Stress is the main obstacle to creating and maintaining a healthy relationship with yourself. Students can often feel overwhelmed. Seven classes, sports and clubs, a social life, possibly work and preparing for college can all weigh on students. Teachers experience a stress level comparable to their student counterparts,
with half of each group reporting a great deal of stress felt regularly, according to The Conversation. While stress is a normal biological reaction, too much stress over a long duration causes harm. Continual stress can lead to depression, obesity and heart disease. Openness and honesty about mental health and happiness are rare in the school environment. Escapism is incredibly
Repeating words of affirmation can be a technique to wire neural pathways to think more positively and develop a healthier relationship with yourself. Photo by Landrea Van Mol
common in American culture and very harmful to your relationship with yourself. Instead of confronting and working through issues in our lives, we tend to distract ourselves with retail expenses, food, drugs, alcohol and obsessive fandom. Habitual escapism results in continual stress which causes health issues and does not solve the problem that caused your stress in the beginning. Therapy or another outlet to express yourself can provide you with an honest opportunity to confront your problems instead of escaping them. A sincere discussion with a professional or nonbiased person, such as a psychologist, can greatly improve your relationship with yourself. Therapy is not exclusive to people with depression or phobias; therapy is just as useful in the wellness model of getting healthy, achieving potential and making a good life better, according to Psychology Today. Part of your relationship with yourself is devoting time to either improving yourself or allowing yourself some space to relax and unwind. Romantic relationships don’t function without devotion to your partner and a relationship with yourself can’t function without devoting time to yourself either. People who are constantly on the run are usually very tired and stressed. Rest is important for the body and the mind. While rest can be naps and actual sleep, rest is also enjoying a break from the brisk pace of life and indulging yourself in your interests. Often, we don’t set aside this important time, which leads to feeling overwhelmed and consumed by school, work and life. Self love is about supporting yourself and devoting time to yourself. We are very keen to apply those ideas to relationships outside ourselves. It’s logical and easy to support your friends and family and devote time to them. Why not do the same to ourselves?
