We hear the phrase ‘self-love’ thrown about often but what does it really mean to love ourselves wholly and just how do we do it?
Knowing that you are truly worth being happy and you are enough is paramount to health and happiness. The way we interact with ourselves directly reflects the way we interact with others and the world around us.
We create our world so let’s create one we love, to do this acceptance and love for self must come first. In the words of Whitney Houston “learning to love yourself is the greatest gift of all”. Self-love is truly the greatest gift you can give to yourself.
No one can make you feel anything about yourself that you don’t believe to be true. And no one can love you as much as you can love yourself, the feelings of love come from within us not outside of us and unless we love ourselves first we can never truly feel and accept the love of others.
1. Awareness
Become aware of the things you tell yourself. Become aware of all that negative self-talk and consciously STOP yourself and swap it for the opposite statement about yourself. Check-in with yourself on a regular basis to avoid yourself getting too deep into a negative pattern. Take a break, go for a walk, practise deep breathing or meditate until you are able to change your mood and begin to think positively again.
Don’t dispel your feelings instead notice them and acknowledge what they are telling you. If you begin to get frazzled and you try to resist the feelings they will just persist. Instead, let them be felt and pass, so you can get back on track as soon as possible.
2. Forgive yourself
It’s time to let go of all the past mistakes you have made and look forward now. You can not change the past and dwelling on it won’t help you. It’s time now to reflect on things that haven’t worked learn from them and now focus on the future and what you want. Humans are not perfect we all make mistakes and it’s ok! We can’t change the past but you can now definitely change your future! take action today by forgiving you and looking forward.
Remember that at any moment you can only do your best nothing more nothing less, so keep this in mind and next time you are confronted with something that you have found hard to forgive yourself for … reflect, not to judge or punish yourself but to see what you learnt and how you can now handle the situation differently.
3. Start taking care of yourself
You can not pour from an empty cup. Treat yourself like a god or goddess. look after your body, mind and spirit however that looks for you. Make time out for yourself every day. Stop putting others before you and start treating yourself the way you would care for a beloved child.
Eat healthy food that nourishes, breath fresh air for your lungs, laugh till it hurts, rest and rejuvenate, when you need something for you do it.. if you need to go to bed early do it..if you need to just sit and read do it. Whatever you need to do to care of yourself just do it! It’s not selfish it a necessity.
4. Set Boundaries
Setting healthy boundaries is a must. It not only allows you to verbalise your needs and wants but also prevents you from becoming resentful toward yourself and others. Boundaries also help others know where your limits actually lie.
Many people will overstep a boundary because they aren’t aware of where it is. How do you set a boundary.. listen to your intuition if it doesn’t feel right your boundary has been crossed.
5. Live with purpose
Do something you love every day something you want to do no matter how big or small. This will make you happy and feeling happy will allow you to feel better about yourself. Create a habit of love by doing something you love for yourself, consciously do it.
Fit it into your day, schedule it in as a priority not a maybe. Doing something you love daily will also create gratitude in you, and the more grateful for your life the happier you are to be alive.
These 5 steps will put you on the path to a greater sense of self-love. Make a point to practice them every day and if you are ready to take the next step and really create unlimited potential in your life book in your free 30 mins chat here.
Yours In Abundance
