I don’t know about you, but it took me some time to find a lot of love for myself in my earlier years.
The lack of self-love in the past may have stemmed from years of being teased in grade school, middle school and high school. I’m sure most of us have experienced some type of teasing in our younger years, or even into adulthood. It can leave you with emotional scars that last a lifetime. I’m confident that we would all love to go back and tell our little-girl selves that there is absolutely nothing wrong with us and that we were created to be beautiful and unique.
After years of intentionally practicing self-love and self-care, I learned how to truly invest in myself, and I’d like to share some tools to help you feel more self- love and self-respect this year. Taking the time to truly invest in self-love and self-care is a non-negotiable for me, and I hope it becomes one for you, too.
Love shouldn’t only come from others around us. First and foremost, it should come from within. Accept yourself, love yourself and keep moving forward.
SELF-LOVE
My definition of self-love is how you quiet your mind and reflect on your inner beauty. These are the tools that have helped me practice self- love:
- Affirmations
- Gratitude journaling
- Learning to say no
- Setting healthy boundaries
- Meditation/yoga
- Less time on social media
- More time in nature
SELF-CARE
My definition of self-care is how you treat your body from the inside out. This includes the food you consume and how you chose to move. These are the self- care rituals that keep me strong and help my brain quiet down: • Prepping meals or eating at my favorite healthy restaurants
- Staying hydrated
- Moving my body daily through exercise
- Morning and nighttime skincare routines
- Epsom salt baths
- Manicures and pedicures
- Massage
