Many experts throughout time have struggled to define the most indispensable word in the human language: love. Some say it’s what makes the world go ’round. Others describe it terms of pain. It’s been used to describe the feeling a parent has for their child or a lover has for their beloved. We hear about love all the time, but don’t discuss how important self-love is. When we establish habits, practices and routines of self-love, we find ourselves to be more authentic and honest, we will enforce healthier boundaries in relationships, and be more grateful and compassionate. So how does one go about self-love?
Practice Self-Care
Begin by implementing healthy routines for yourself when starting your self-love journey, and be consistent. Go to bed at a decent hour and aim for six to eight hours of sleep each night. Establish a physical commitment, such as walking 30 minutes a day, signing up for a workout class a few times a week, or stretching and practicing breathwork when you wake up. Go grocery shopping and select healthy food options every Sunday for the week ahead.
Design a routine that works for you and that you will be proud of. When you go to sleep at night, congratulate yourself on how you honored yourself that day, week, and that month, and see how much better you feel.
Learn Compassion Through Affirmations
A great method for silencing negative voices in our heads is to work with affirmations, especially guided meditations that can be listened to aloud. The gentle words of a healer can land deeply within our consciousness and replace the voices of those who damaged us. Over time, we can’t help but believe the new messages we are absorbing. There are so many free apps on our phones. Or just go online and Google “guided meditations”, Youtube has loads of options, and there is plenty of literature out there you can use as well.
Looking into the mirror and reciting affirmations is also highly effective. Making eye contact with yourself and expressing love, appreciation, and respect might strike some as corny or too much, but if that is your reaction, it might be time to give it a try. People who love themselves unconditionally can express self-love without making a joke out of it.
Try:
- You are strong and capable.
- You are lovable.
- You deserve self-care and self-respect.
- You are beautiful inside and out.
Another useful exercise is called the Compliment Log. It’s a small journal you carry with you to record every nice thing that others say about you or you catch yourself saying to yourself. Being smiled at, invited out, hugged or otherwise included/embraced also counts. Consistently doing this will really make changes in your perception. You may suddenly find the world full of good rather than hostility. You’ll begin to accept your own amazingness and own it, rather than denying it.
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