HOW TO LOVE YOURSELF
Practice
Actions of Love
Learning to love yourself unconditionally isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s not a feeling you can create or force upon yourself, it comes from regularly taking the time to tell and show yourself that you are love. If you don’t believe in love or that you’re worthy of it, you’ll never have it. The process of finding self-love starts with small, simple acts that show you appreciate yourself inside and out.
Begin your practice of self-love by establishing a self-care routine. This isn’t the same as a routine you’d use to get ready in the morning or night. It’s a routine that can occur at any point in the day that’s specialized to you and your needs. You can determine what that is by listening to your body. When you feel tired, bloated, uncomfortable, or down, what is your body telling you? Should you be eating healthier, exercising more -or less, prioritizing your schedule, or cutting out negative influences?
There are so many ways we push and stretch ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally throughout the day. It’s time to stop and listen to yourself and what your body is asking of you. You can also introduce acts of love into your current daily routines by playing your favorite music as you’re getting ready for the day, lighting candles or incense while eating or relaxing, or using aromatic lotion before bed. By listening to your body and creating a self-care routine, you are showing yourself that you deserve love and attention. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you do it with care, which over time will turn into love.
Words of Love
What you think and say influences what you do and how you feel. So what you tell yourself in your mind is just as powerful as your actions. As you begin to incorporate “Actions of Love” into your daily routine, it’s important that you pair the physical actions with mental ones as well. Utilize the following practice to amplify the amount of love you give yourself each day. Once you’ve embodied the physical and mental elements of self-love, you should feel the emotional aspect start to grow.
This practice can be done anywhere at any time, all you need is your mind. To begin, simply repeat three times, “I love you (your name)”. Try this practice for at least a week *beginner* or a month *advanced* and notice how your words create and shape your thoughts and actions.
There are a few ways to practice “Words of Love”. At the beginning it’s useful to use a mirror and look yourself in the eyes as you repeat the phrase. It might feel awkward or silly at first, but it helps create a connection between your mind and body. You can also say the words out loud or just in your mind and you can practice when you wake up or go to bed. But feel free to use this practice at any point during the day whenever you need a personal boost. Hopefully you’ll experience the benefits of this practice and will keep it as a tool to use when needed.
