“What Self-Love Means to Me”
Elena Fernandes
MODEL AND ACTOR
“To me, self-love means putting yourself first. One has to learn to say no to others…and it is absolutely okay to be selfish in that sense. It took me a while to warm up to this idea—I would always prioritise others over myself, even if it drove me to a breaking point. But, over time, I realised that it was taking a toll on me…I was exhausted, both emotionally and physically, and wasn’t even able to sleep properly. That’s when I taught myself to say no. You can’t save the world if you neglect yourself. And it is not your responsibility to fix everything and everyone, especially not at the cost of harming yourself! So it’s imperative that you make time for yourself. It was during the lockdown that I really indulged in some self-love. I learnt to appreciate the silence… I reduced the time I’d spend on my phone or on the Internet, went back to reading books, and spent
