Introduction

Looking to practice self-love while dating in college? Worry not, we are here!

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”—Buddha

Imagine this: The modernized idea of college dating.

Those long morning walks on the campus with your partner. A chilly winter breeze hits the fingers that you laced with them. You make your way over to the local tea shop and everything feels good until a message pops on your phone.

Ding!

You were scheduled for a test today! What’s worse? You’ve gotten 5 missed calls from your friends asking for your whereabouts. You are short on your attendance since you were out bunking all your classes. Clouds of miserable thoughts start making their way into your head until you brush them out and begin to see a clearer view of what is happening.

Boy, have you forgotten about the other things in your life!

If there is a slight chance you see yourself in this painted picture then fret not, friend. Idyll is here to have your back.

We’re here to tell you the Top 10 Ways to Practise Self-Love while Dating in College.

Let’s dive right in!

The Art of Self-love

Before we get ourselves involved with the complexity of college dating, let us first be aware of the true meaning behind the concept of self-love.

Self-love is the ability to love and treat yourself well. It is a concept that describes how you feel about yourself.

It is a way by which you practice and take active steps to improve your self-esteem and your worth. As you start to embrace your worth, you start to celebrate your wins; no matter how little they may be, and find joy and fulfilment in small things in life.

Believe it or not - How you treat yourself says a lot about how you may want others to treat you. Once you start to Self-Love, you start to feel more independent and start to not rely on other people to make you happy.

College dating is truly a new experience. It’s the time for exploring, connecting, networking, and the one stage where traditional romance meets the digital age. As you start this new journey, filled with excitement and all the new emotions, it is important to make sure not to lose yourself in the process.

Tip 1: Empower Yourself - Set boundaries and Know Your Worth. Speak Up.

College dating can be a little hectic with all the work, assignments, and deadlines. Committing to a relationship while struggling to manage all things by yourself can be a little overwhelming. Therefore, setting healthy boundaries in a relationship is just as important as managing your work.

At a crucial period like this, if you don't be vocal about how you feel and put your needs upfront, you may end up putting other’s needs before you. Your lack of confidence can come in the way of your interactions with other people.

When you love yourself, you start seeing your worth, and when you don’t, you permit people to step all over you.

Friend to Friend - It feels as horrible as it sounds.

It is completely fine to say “no” to things you are not comfortable doing and start prioritizing your alone time. All of us want that.

While you set your boundaries, make sure to open your mind and allow yourself to respect other people’s boundaries as well.

Tip 2: Rediscover Joy: Embrace your Hobbies and Find Your Passion

Take time out for you to escape reality for a while. Sing at the top of your lungs, Dance as if you are performing live, Act as if you are a superstar in front of a crowd, Read as if the day would never end, or Paint as if you have an exhibition the next day. Create something. You need to wander in your dream world for a little while to keep fueling your creative side. Doing what you love makes you feel empowered. It would help you gain more motivation and help you concentrate on your primary work as and when you get back to it. You will most definitely feel happier than before as you give yourself a confidence boost.

Tip 3: Put “You” back in your life.

It is important to not lose yourself while loving other things amid your journey of College Dating. Take some time out for yourself. Take a sheet of paper and start to compile a list of strategies to juggle your academics and social life. Walk away from toxicity and end things that start to feel negative. Spend time with people who value you and your presence.

College dating involves going on a lot of dates.  So, you can plan dates that make it more interesting and thrilling for both of you. Like painting or drawing together, going to the gym or just for a long walk in nature, or anything that takes your mind off of the normal hectic schedule. Have fun and Grow together - as two seeds of the same plant. Sounds fun, right?

Tip 4: Friendship Matters - Stay connected!

Do not. I repeat - DO NOT do away with your real connections - your friends and family. In the modern-day hustle and bustle; especially in your journey of college dating, you may at times find yourself growing distant from your loved ones but don't ever lose contact with them. The ones that stay with you from the beginning and have seen you grow know you better than the rest of the world and at some times even better than yourself. They will reflect on any negative behaviour they may encounter and ask you to correct it. Reach out to your friends if you haven’t in a while and remember to keep reaching out. After all, friendship is not about ego, it is about coming together and growing together!

If you still do not have any idea how to build strong healthy friendships with anyone, worry not. We are here. Read this blog https://getidyll.in/blog/how-do-you-build-long-lasting-friendships/. It will help you in the long run!

Tip 5: Stay Strong and Proud – Stand up for yourself

Accept who and what you are. If people care about you- they will adjust with you accordingly. Before communicating how you expect yourself to be treated, you need to be doing that to yourself first. Make sure to stand your ground. Be aware of the intentions that people have with you. It is not easy to trust someone these days. Keep an eye out for people that may not be right for you.

Warning- You may find a lot of those who just don’t care about anyone else besides themselves. Sounds mean, doesn’t it? But it’s true. College dating can be thrilling but not as much if you don’t have good people surrounding you.

Tip 6: Self-Care SOS - Take extra care of yourself

Happiness is attained when you start seeing things from a positive perspective. The beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, my friend. There is no denying that. Manifest your growth and each day, when you see yourself in the mirror, start saying positive things to yourself.

Be affirmative about good things happening to you. As exciting as it may sound, College Dating can be a bit messy sometimes, just like any other relationship. On days when you feel like the weight of the world is bringing you down, try to be more kind to yourself. Try to include a self-care routine once a day in your week and see for yourself how your body reacts to it! You will thank us later.

Tip 7: Patience is the key

Be patient with each step that you take as you embark on this new journey of college dating. Some of you may find it a little intimidating to see all the new couples around you on the campus. Self-love is not something you get just like that. It is a work in progress. When we can understand ourselves and what we are all about, then we can open our minds more to understand other individuals and how their mind works, what all they require, what their needs are, and everything about them. Be patient with yourself and take your time. It is perfectly okay.

Tip 8: Your Journey, Your Pace - Let go of comparisons

Each movie has a different story to tell, each script has a different meaning to itself. You may face difficulties in any of your relationships if you continue to dwell on comparisons. College Dating is the most common since all the students find it quite intriguing but you have to understand that each relation has its significance and features. All of our paths are different and we cross our paths with so many people, daily. Comparing yourself or your connection is never justifiable for a healthy bond. Be careful, while choosing who you want to trust.

Tip 9: Self-Love Vs. Self-Sabotage - What is what?

College Dating may be a little more complex than it seems to appear. Try not to be overconfident and understand the real meaning of self-love. If you misunderstand the real essence of self-love it will hamper your way of thinking and overall perspective and you may end up self-sabotaging yourself and your relations. Yes, Sure you should build up walls and only let some people completely in but you have to make sure that the walls that are built do not end up being prison walls.

Tip 10: Breathe In, Breathe Out  - Find calmness in Chaos.

We get it. Understanding the complexities of a relationship can be a little stressful, but that’s just the beauty of it. In your journey of College Dating, it is important to find the perfect companion but try not to stress so much about it. With your busy schedule, try to take at least 15 minutes to meditate and relax. Take a breath, friend. All of us have a lot of responsibilities to take on. It won’t harm you to take a breath of fresh air for a while. Relax your shoulders and do away with the crease on your forehead. Life will turn out just as you planned it to.

Conclusion:

We all wanna end up like Rahul and Anjali, but remember Anjali practiced self-love first to embrace her love for Rahul. You need to do that too! College dating can be the start of a thrilling experience and one way to make the most of it is to practice self-love. By following this guide of 10 ways to self-love, you will most surely be able to deal with most of the complexities that may come your way.

Remember to prioritize yourself, be patient, set healthy boundaries, and stand up for yourself. You are not just looking to love someone, you are looking to find and love yourself, too.

All this information can be a little too much but worry not, reader. We got you covered with more such tips and regular blogs relating to college dating at Idyll!

Happy Dating!

Life is short, experience the unforgettable!

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