The Art of Self Love

With Valentines Day fast approaching, we begin to think about love and relationships. However, we often forget to reflect on our relationship with ourselves. It can be difficult to uncover your inner confidence and allow yourself to feel truly alive, but you deserve to have a healthy relationship with yourself. It’s time to make you a priority. Here are some ideas on engaging in a deep and meaningful relationship with yourself that fosters a love of the self and ego.

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Make Time for Yourself

Make yourself a priority–every day. Whether it’s a morning jog, an evening yoga session, or a 5-minute meditation session, make sure that you permit yourself to create a space where your heart can be open and honest. Spending time alone and getting to know who you are and what makes you happy is a vital step in loving the person you are, and are becoming. This might be difficult at first, as we live in a society that often tells us that taking time for ourselves is selfish. However, t is essential if we want to move forward in our journey of self-love.

Be Kind To Yourself

I can't say it any better than the compassion queen, Brené Brown, “Talk to yourself like someone you love.” This idea is a profound truth that many of us (myself included) would rather not ponder. Our society conditions us into self-loathing and self-degradation, so speaking lovingly is a challenge. Making a conscious effort to speak kindly to yourself, and treat yourself like you would treat someone you care deeply about, is vital for valuing and honoring your very essence. This means being honest with yourself when things don’t go as planned and being compassionate when life throws curveballs. Life is hard enough without harshly judging ourselves. Allow grace into your life and practice self-forgiveness instead of dwelling on past mistakes or failures. I can't say it any better than Brené Brown, “Talk to yourself like someone you love.”

Do Things That Make You Feel Good

Do things that make you feel good – both physically and mentally! Take up hobbies that bring joy into your life such as painting or baking - activities that give us pleasure, challenge us creatively, or just make us laugh out loud are great! Also consider any physical activities such as running, swimming, or even going for a walk (see my post about how a daily walk is powerful) – these activities can help reduce stress levels and promote relaxation. Spend time with people who make you feel supported and appreciated, reminding you of your worthiness and beauty.

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Self-love takes time and effort to cultivate, but it is worth it. Following these steps will help get you started on developing a healthy relationship with yourself – one that is rooted in kindness, compassion, understanding, courage, and joy. It will also lay the foundation for meaningful relationships with others because once we learn how to be gentle and kind towards ourselves those qualities ripple from our very essence. Allowing ourselves to fall in love with who we are is an act of bravery - so let's commit to making it happen!

~Tay