15 Ways to Practice Self-Love and Be Good to Yourself
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WHAT IS SELF-LOVE?
Before a person is able to practice it, first we need to understand what it means.
Self-love is a state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological and spiritual growth. Self-love means having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness. Self-love means taking care of your own needs and not sacrificing your well-being to please others. Self-love means not settling for less than you deserve.
Self-love can mean something different for each person because we all have many different ways to take care of ourselves. Figuring out what self-love looks like for you as an individual is an important part of your mental health.
What does self-love mean to you? ♡
For many people, self-love is another way to say self-care. To practice self-care, we often need to go back to the basics.
Self-love means accepting yourself as you are in this very moment for everything that you are. It means accepting your emotions for what they are and putting your physical, emotional and mental well-being first.
So do yourself a favour, take a deep breath, give yourself a little hug and start practicing the following:
15 WAYS TO PRACTICE SELF-LOVE AND BE GOOD TO YOURSELF
1. Start each day by telling yourself something really positive.
How well you handled a situation, how lovely you look today. Anything that will make you smile.
2. Don’t believe everything you think.
There is an inner critic inside of us trying to keep us small and safe. The downside is this also stops us from living a full life.
3. Stop the comparisons.
There is no one on this planet like you, so you cannot fairly compare yourself to someone else. The only person you should compare yourself to is you.
4. End all toxic relationships.
Seriously. Anyone who makes you feel anything less than amazing doesn’t deserve to be a part of your life.
5. Embrace and love the things that make you different.
This is what makes you special.
6. Realise that beauty cannot be defined.
It is what you see it as. Don’t let any of those Photoshopped magazines make you feel like your body isn’t perfect. Even those models don’t look like that in real life.
7. Be patient but persistent.
Self-love is ever evolving. It’s something that needs to be practiced daily but can take a lifetime to master. So be kind and support yourself through the hard times.
8. Learn to say no.
Saying no sometimes doesn’t make you a bad person, it makes you a smart person.
9. Forgive yourself.
You know that thing you did one time (or maybe a few times) that made you feel bad, embarrassed, ashamed? It’s time to let that go. You can’t change the things you have done in the past but you can control your future. Look at it as a learning experience and believe in your ability to change.
10. Write it down.
Head swimming with so many thoughts it’s giving you a headache? Write them all down on a piece of paper, no matter how crazy, mean, sad, or terrifying they are. Keep it in a journal, tear it up, burn it, whatever you need to do to let it go.
11. Find your happy place.
Where’s the one place you feel totally at ease, calm, happy, positive, high on life? Go to that place when you are going through hard times, or imagine yourself being there. Think about how it feels, what it smells like, what it looks like.
12. Surround yourself with people who love and encourage you.
And let them remind you just how amazing you are.
13. Remember your value doesn’t lie in how your body looks.
This is fundamental! So many things in the world want to distract you from this powerful truth. You are valuable because you are you, not because of your body.
So, wear what makes you feel good. If it’s a lot or if it’s a little, wear what makes you feel confident, comfortable, and happy.
14. Find something to be grateful for every day.
It’s inevitable that you are going to have your down days. This is fine and very human of you. It’s especially important on these days to find at least one thing you are grateful for as it helps to shift your mind and energy around what’s going on.
15. Don’t worry about others’ opinions.
In that same vein, don’t worry about what society thinks or expects of you. You can’t make everyone happy, so this is a waste of time and will only slow you down on your journey to being the best you.
Treat yourself, or gift it to someone for Valentine's Day. On this day, we celebrate self-love and body positivity.
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