We live in an era where everything is instant—instant food, instant information, instant entertainment, instant connection. We are conditioned to believe that effort and reward should be a one-to-one equation.

Social media makes self-love a trend that looks like bubble baths, vacations, and treating yourself to nice things. And sure, sometimes it can be that. But real self-love? It’s deeper. Messier. It’s not about aesthetics or indulgence—it’s about the way you meet yourself, every single day.