I’ve talked about this before, but self-love is hard. It really shouldn’t be, but it is. For some reason it’s easier to hate ourselves and pick on everything we do and how we look than it is to be happy with who we are.
We are our own worst enemies even more than we’d like to admit, probably, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are five quick things you can do every day that will help you love yourself even more than you already do.
- Forgive yourself.
We all mess up. We all make mistakes. And we can all move on. Find a solution if there is one. If there isn’t, just know that there’s nothing you could’ve done and try to move forward. It’s really easy to keep everything inside and hold grudges against others, or even yourself, but that’s so much unnecessary drama and negative energy that you just don’t need in your life. Forgive yourself now. I’m not saying it’s as easy as just repeating those words, but this is really important. Make mistakes, and then move forward.
- Look at yourself in the mirror.
This seriously used to terrify me, and I’m not 100% sure why. If I’m scared to look at my own reflection, what does that say about me? You are beautiful. You are worthy. You are wonderful. If it helps, even say those phrases to yourself right in the mirror. Simple mantras like those can be monumentally helpful with repetition each day or even each week. Don’t be afraid of what you look like or what you think you look like. Knowledge is power, and we all need to own what each of us has, both inside and outside.
- Take a few minutes to mediate, take some deep breaths and refocus.
Take a quick break from whatever chaos is going on in your life and just breathe. It’s important to remember that we all need breaks every once in a while. All the problems and responsibilities will still be there in a few minutes, and taking a break may help you refocus and solve some problems you were having trouble with.
- Laugh.
Seriously. Watch a funny YouTube video, look up sets from comedians, look through your old pictures on Facebook. Do something to get a little mental release and take a break from your own head. Smiling always helps to remind me not to take life so seriously and just have some fun every once in a while. It’s easy to get caught up in all the chaos of life that we forget that we should be having fun.
- Take care of yourself.
Don’t forget to pamper yourself every once in a while, whether that’s by using a face mask, taking an extra long shower, having a glass (or two) of wine, reading a book, going to bed early, etc. Think about what your soul needs, and do that. You’ll find it’s really freeing and relaxing. This also means to make sure to think about yourself, not just others. Don’t always be concerned with making other people happy or wondering what will make other people mad. You can’t control other people and their reactions, so just focus on being true to yourself, and if people get mad, that’s their problem.
Also, don’t forget about the power of music! Check out the self-love playlist I made on Spotify here.
What are some things you do to practice self-love? What might you add to this list?
