Loving yourself is tough. Waking up every day with a proud sense of who you are can feel exhausting, or even impossible. But we all know, deep down, we can be the best versions of ourselves when we love ourselves fiercely and freely. Sometimes it takes mantras and prayers and sticky notes on the wall and chats in the mirror to make self-love stick. Poetry can help too.

Here are six self-love poems to remind you of your worth and value in this world; to bring you to a centered place of peace within yourself.

self love is

a revolution

that every atom

in your body is

marching for.

—s.r.w

You are not small.

You are not unworthy.

You are not insignificant.

The universe wove you from a constellation,

just so atom, every fibre in you comes from

a different star.

Together, you are bound by stardust , altogether

spectacularly created by the energy of the

universe itself.

And that, my darling,

is the poetry of physics,

the poetry of you.

—Nikita Gill 

accept yourself as a work in progress the continue

to build yourself into the person you’re dreaming to be;

the person you have all the potential to be.

accept your flaws, accept your truths. accept your past.

and make light of them. no one can tear you down if

you make peace with who you are and where you’ve

been. if you are going to focus on the negative at all,

focus on turning them into positives. focus on growing.

sometimes, often times, our minds are the scariest

place to sit. it’ll trick you into comparing yourself

to others and it’ll trick you into believing you aren’t

good enough. but you are. you have always been

and you always will be. you’re much more powerful

when you believe in yourself. if you don’t love

all of you, who will?

give yourself time to blossom.

—Reyna Biddy 

who taught you

to unlove yourself

so sweetly

that you actually thought

it tasted

good?

—Alex Elle 

I’ve spent

So much time

At war with

Myself, I have

Forgotten

I am the walls

of my home

Forgive her, and she

Will forgive you, too

No matter how many times

You asked her to break

—my relationship with my body

—Wilder 

The universe took its time on you

crafted you to offer the world

something different from everyone else

when you doubt

how you were created

you doubt an energy greater than us both.

—Rupi Kaur