I’m going to show you some ways to practice self-love you can put into motion right away because…
In case you didn’t already know…YOU’RE AWESOME!
In case you forgot…YOU’RE AWESOME!
In case you need inspiration…YOU’RE AWESOME!
YOU ARE FREAKING AWESOME!!!
Self-love can be challenging, it can be easy to get lost in the chaos of life. But the truth is, we all deserve to be loved, including you. You deserve to be loved by those around you, and most importantly – you deserve to be loved by YOU. We engage self-love through a series of thoughts and actions which can be an extremely healing process creating a major shift in our life.
Loving ourselves allows us to get in touch with, or reconnect with our spirit, passions and the things that inspire our well being and bliss. Contrary to what we’ve been taught for so long – that we’re being selfish if we’re not constantly working hard or taking care of others, it’s not about being selfish or self absorbed – loving ourselves teaches us to open up to love others more deeply and accept them as they are with unconditional love.
I encourage you to explore these ways to practice self-love because you’re awesome and you are worth it!
1. Be mindful of your body.
Our body is our temple, it’s where we live each and every day. What we feed our body determines how we feel, so feed it well. When we consciously choose to eat fresh, live, whole food our body feels vibrant and alive, our mind clear, and our spirit light and bright. In the words of Buddha, “To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” Make sure to get enough sleep too.
2. Be mindful of your thoughts and feelings.
When we’re mindful of what we think and feel, we are better able to actually know what we want. Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and listen to our emotions can be really tough sometimes, but ignoring or avoiding them only slows our growth and keeps us stuck. Listening to them gives us the practice we need to understand them and know who we are so that we can stay focused on our needs and act on this awareness, rather than on what others want for us.
3. Be gentle with yourself.
The next time your inner critic starts beating you up, thank it for it’s opinion and move on to a more gentle space -one that allows you to be the perfectly imperfect, unique version of yourself, as we all are. You deserve love, kindness, patience and acceptance, so nurture your mind, body and soul. The more permission we allow ourselves to mess up, the more we allow the same for those around us. Life is a learning process, the more aware we become, the more we choose to embrace it and let go of the notion that we must be perfect.
4. Create time and space to de-stress.
Time and space alone allows us to reconnect with our soul and get centered in a world full of to do lists and chaos. Quiet time to de-stress by releasing bodily or mental tension through slow breathing, quiet thoughts, and relaxation is important so that we don’t get overwhelmed or experience mental and physical burn out. Spend “me time” each day without distractions or interruptions. Meditate, listen to some relaxing music, take a long walk, do yoga, stretch, take a bath, or get a massage. This time helps to re-energize us and helps us to think before we react in situations, for a smooth outcome. Try this 3 step morning awareness practice that can be done in less than five minutes.
5. Exercise healthy boundaries & know when to say no.
Saying no is a necessary step in setting healthy boundaries. I find it fascinating that it has such a negative stigma attached – no one person could ever possibly say yes to everything, that’s just silly to even think. Saying no doesn’t make you inconsiderate, it makes you smart. We’ve all seen too many people experience total burnout or lose themselves completely trying too hard to be the ultimate people pleaser. On the surface it seems great, but it’s bad news in the end. Let go of the fact that you must please everyone and work on saying no to, or limiting things that deplete your energy physically, emotionally and spiritually. Not everyone is going to understand or approve and that’s okay.
6. Practice forgiving yourself.
We all make mistakes and possibly one of the hardest acts of self-love is forgiveness. We don’t always make the right decisions but maybe they are the best we can make in the moment. We can’t change the past but if we use these moments to create a greater awareness and fuel our ability to change, they will shape our reactions and decisions more positively next time. Practice being less hard on yourself. We must learn to forgive ourselves first, then we get really good at forgiving others too.
7. Live intentionally by tuning into your passions and dreams.
Nourish yourself with things you’re passionate about. What lights your fire? Which activities bring you joy? What type of work are you passionate about? What inspires you? Keep these in the forefront of your mind and reach for them. Our purpose in life may not always be totally clear, and may completely change from time to time, but when we’re designing our life with intention we are able to make the type of choices that will allow us to follow through and enjoy the manifestation of our desires.
8. Tune into your positive inner dialogue.
Remember that inner critic I mentioned earlier? That little inner voice really likes to try and do a number on us. When the negative chatter starts, kindly tell it to move on out and invite positive inner dialogue to get all comfy in your mind instead. Think about how you would talk to someone who’s well-being you deeply care about – how you would choose words that are encouraging, supportive and loving, and know that you deserve no less. Practicing daily self-care affirmations helps to fine tune positive inner dialogue.
9. Express yourself and play often.
This one is fun! This is where we tap in to our creativity. Do arts and crafts, sing or play an instrument, create recipes, design things, philosophize – whatever it is for you, do things that allow you to be creative and have fun. Play games, sports, dance, explore somewhere new…have FUN! Don’t be afraid to do something out of your comfort zone, pick up a new hobby, learn something new, get crazy, be silly and laugh at yourself. Life offers many adventures to experience along the way.
10. Celebrate success.
Celebrate good times, c’mon! (sorry, I had to:). Practicing self-love takes conscious effort and isn’t always easy, so it’s important to celebrate success, no matter how small it may seem at the time – that small success could be the catalyst for even greater success. Never underestimate your success…if anything – overestimate, put your party hat on and celebrate like crazy. Oh, and don’t forget to reward yourself with something you love, after all YOU ARE AWESOME!!!