You may be hearing the term self-love a lot these days, but what does it actually look like in practice. Here are a few tips to get started.
- Get rid of your toxic thoughts. This can be hard to do, because negative, toxic thoughts tend to creep into our brains at all hours of the day and night, even if we have the best intentions to think positive, our minds can wander. Something that can help you feel more in control of getting rid of toxic thoughts, are to write them down and get them out of your mind and onto paper. Once they’re on the paper, take the paper and physically rip it up. The act of writing it down and ripping it up actually tricks your brain to believe you are getting rid of your negative beliefs. Go ahead…try it!
- Now for some paper that you should not rip up…. positive affirmations. Write down the statements you want to feel, that you want to be your reality. You are essentially manifesting your thoughts. Tips- keep it short—your affirmations will be easier to repeat and remember if you keep them shorter (4-6 words). Start with “I” or “My”, since your statement is about yourself. For example; “I am beautiful” or “I am worth of love” are short and easily repeatable. It can help to tape up your affirmations somewhere that you look multiple times throughout the day, like your bathroom mirror. Whenever you see the affirmation you should say it out loud.
- Stop the comparison game. In today’s world, especially with social media showcasing other people’s seemingly perfect lives, it is almost impossible to not compare yourself to others. You have to TRY to remember that people usually are only posting their best moments, and it does not always depict their real lives. Try to unfollow people that make you feel bad about yourself and consider spending less time on social media. Instead of being online, get outside and meet up with friends who make you feel good and support you or join clubs or groups that align with your hobbies.
- Self-love starts with self-care. We usually are more worried about taking care of others and forget about ourselves. Do a quick evaluation of what you do for yourself and how often. If it’s less than once a day, you’re doing too little! We should all be carving out at least 15 minutes a day for ourselves. Go for a walk, meditate, take a hot bath, read, cook your favorite food, watch a show you love, workout, do a face mask…the options are endless! The point is to do something that makes you feel good, every day. When we feel good, it creates positive thoughts, and positive thoughts mean great things for helping us love ourselves.
This month especially, make sure to be kind to yourself. If you needed a reminder today, you are wonderful and deserve all the love!
