As fans of Clara Dao will know, this social media star is determined to make the world a happier place.
With self-love at the center of her online persona, Clara is passionate about helping her followers find the joy in being authentically them - and part of that means being able to enjoy time by themselves.
TheThings sat down with Clara to hear more about how she prioritizes self-love in her own life, and why she feels so strongly about advocating for singles positivity.
Clara On The Journey To Falling In Love With Herself
A quick scroll through Clara's instagram account will confirm, Clara is all about self-love.
Passionate about normalizing everything from body hair to bloating, one might think this content creator has long been at ease with her self-image - but that's not the case.
"Self-love has only become a big priority for me in the past 2 to 3 years," she shares.
"Before that, when I was younger, I didn't know how to prioritize myself, and I suffered a lot in terms of my self-confidence because of that."
So, what changed?
Turns out, content creation played a big role in getting to a place of truly loving herself.
"Once I realized I needed to put myself first and accept myself for who I am, I started creating content online, [and] in a way, I think I went on a self-love journey with my audience."
Clara Doubles Down On Self-Love Being A Jouney
Clara admits that she's still working on falling in love with her true self - and that's because the path to true self-love is a journey in the truest sense of the word.
"Self-love needs time to develop. It's not like you go to bed and wake up completely in love with yourself," - though, she laughs, "sometimes it can happen, if you're really determined."
However, she shrugs, "most of the time, it takes time, and some days will be harder than others."
How To Cope As A Singleton In A Society Obsessed With Coupling Up
Let's face it: this is a couple's world, and despite singers like Lizzo shining a spotlight on the positive aspects of single life and supermodel Bella Hadid living her best single life, it's not always easy flying solo.
From Pete Davidson being dragged for being single (pre-Kim Kardashian West, that is!), to the ever-popular 'Couple Goals' hashtag across social media platforms, it can be tough for those not in relationships to feel truly represented.
For that reason, Clara suggests following accounts "that inspire you."
What To Do If The Solo Blues Do Hit
While Clara is adamant that the more time we spend in our own company, the more likely we are to fall in love with ourselves, she also understands that that can be a process in and of itself.
"I've been living alone for the past 6 or 7 years, and it took me that time to fall in love with my alone time," she admits. "Everyone's journey is different."
So, she suggests, should any feelings of loneliness come up - "it's so natural to want connection!" - it's important to feel the emotion.
"Embrace that feeling and sit with it, and learn that it's okay to feel like this sometimes."
And, she adds, while it can be tempting to suppress those emotions, remember that "whatever you resist, persists!"
"The more you accept your feelings, the lesser of a negative impact they will have on you. From acceptance comes love."
"Once you accept your alone time, you'll learn to love your alone time."
And in the meantime, it's helpful to check in regularly with content like Clara's for your daily positivity fix.
Here's to making the world a more joyful place!
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