The Connection Between Self-Love and Mental Health

You cannot pour out what does not first exist within you. If you are not intentionally fueling yourself with love, how can you genuinely give love to anyone else? It is my personal belief that self-love and mental health go hand in hand—one simply cannot exist without the other.

When we go against our natural instinct to preserve our well-being—mentally, emotionally, or physically—in order to show up for others, it becomes clear that something is out of balance and needs to be corrected. Wholeness begins within.

When we repeatedly find ourselves overcompensating for others at the expense of our mental or physical health, it is time to pause and examine the nature of our values. This is where the internal work begins. We must question not only what we are doing, but why we are doing it. We must challenge the source of our intentions.

Are we seeking love outside of ourselves because we are bored?
Because we feel inadequate when we are alone?
Because we are avoiding something within us that needs healing?

These are the questions we must ask ourselves before seeking love from external sources. Doing so allows us to align with someone who values the same things we do and is capable of meeting us in a healthy, mutual way.

This isn’t to say that you need to have every part of your life perfectly together before entering a relationship. But we should not be surprised when things fall apart quickly if we neglect the internal work required to build a strong foundation—one rooted in healthy morals, clear values, and God-centered principles.