Do You Value Your Attention and Use it to Your Advantage in Dating? Here’s How.

I desperately sought attention and approval from others, forgetting that my own attention was also valuable.

Ellen Nguyen
6 min readJan 25, 2024

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Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Have you ever felt that you’re mindlessly giving away your attention, feeling undervalued or not appreciated enough? It’s a widespread issue in dating, where it’s crucial to understand how to value and effectively use your attention.

I’ve experienced this myself. When my self-esteem was low, I desperately sought attention and approval from others, forgetting that my own attention was also valuable. I used to get upset with people who contacted me inconsistently or send them numerous texts when they went silent. By doing this, I unknowingly taught them that they could get my attention simply by ignoring or disrespecting me.

Learning that my attention is valuable was tough, but it’s true — where and how I direct my attention significantly affects my life quality. Whether I realised it or not, the manner and timing of giving my attention sends distinct messages. I found that truly valuing my attention and having confidence in myself was only possible with enough self-esteem.

4 Examples that show you don’t value your attention enough…

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Ellen Nguyen

Freelance writer & digital creator | London based | Psychology BSc. Editor of LovefulMind.com, empowering women.