How to Love Thyself More Everyday in Six Simple Steps
Is it possible to do all the things and be everything to everyone and still love yourself? How can I be myself when I don’t know who that person is? How do I know who I want to be when I don’t know who I am right now? How can I go somewhere if I don’t know where I am?
Loving yourself – what does it really mean?
To love who you are right now including the messy, truthful and beautiful moments. The unshowered, no bra, hair in a bun version of you. The version where your make-up is 100% on point, your outfit feels sassy and you feel sexy inside and out. The version of you that feels strong, confident and worthy.
Honoring the thoughts you have, the feelings that live deep within…to embrace the doubts and forgive yourself when you lose your cool, reverting to the person you worked really hard not to be.
This is what it means to love yourself. All the versions in all the moments.
The phrase loving yourself can feel and seem so dramatic, but it doesn’t have to be. In this article PsychCentral gives great tips on practicing to love yourself more including taking breaks, even short spurts of time that give you a chance to take a deep breath. . . alone.
Try not to hate the painful parts of you that hold deep hurt, feel inadequate and seem hard to share with others. Loving yourself, or at best, liking yourself, includes the parts of you that you aren’t so pleased with and know could use some support and healing.
It’s the parts of you that you love to look at AND the parts you work really hard to cover up.
None of this means you’re broken. All of this makes you human. It makes you…you. Being a human means having all of these deep core layers and being human means evolving. Talk to anyone, and they can tell you what they want more of.
What they want to be different. What their dreams are. That’s the art of evolution.
Where to start when you want to love yourself
If loving yourself seems like a stretch right now. Like yourself. Here’s a technique that may help you discover pieces of yourself that may feel lost right now.
Spend a few moments recognizing the things you like about yourself – your personality, your talents, your positive traits.
Sit quietly or with soft music playing for 5-10 minutes and think about yourself.
No one else.
Let it all come in. The good, the negative, the doubt, the fear, and the happy.
Try not to judge it; lean into it.
Let it come and go—all the thoughts.
After 5 minutes, or whatever feels good to you, put pen to paper – write down what made you happy and what you like about yourself.
Stick this paper on your bathroom mirror or somewhere you can see it often.
Move it around often so it’s in a new spot.
Read it, take a deep breath and remember what you like about you and maybe enjoy or love about yourself.
To get started ask yourself these questions.
What do you like about yourself?
What do others lean on you for?
What makes you smile?
What makes you laugh out loud?
What is one thing you’ve done that you were proud of?
When you do ____, time seems to slip away and go so quickly.
Be your own best friend FIRST
Loving yourself means taking care of your physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. It means nourishing your body with healthy foods, engaging in physical activities that make you feel good, taking the time to relax and do things you enjoy, and being kind and patient with yourself.
It also means being honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses, and working to improve the areas in which you feel you want to heal. In short, it’s a commitment to unapologetically give yourself what you need, when you need it and be your own best friend FIRST.
To no longer abandon yourself based on other people’s wishes,
formalities or beliefs.
Make time, even 10 minutes, to do things that make you happy, whether that be reading a book, taking a long walk, coloring or painting. Spend time with friends and family who help you find joy in life.
When negative thoughts pop up, remind yourself that you are enough, and that you are worthy of this positive attention.
How to treat yourself with self-love each day
Speak kindly to yourself. Instead of telling yourself negative messages, replace them with positive affirmations about yourself.
Look in the mirror and tell yourself something positive.
Celebrate your accomplishments. Don’t forget to give yourself credit for the amazing things that you do each day.
Spend time with people who make you feel good. Surround yourself with people who support and encourage you. This includes on social media channels.
Practice gratitude. Take time to recognize and appreciate the good things in your life.
Forgive yourself. No one is perfect and that’s okay.
Self-love is a journey, and the best way to start is by being kind to yourself.
Finally, practice self-care. This can be anything from taking a bubble bath, to journaling, to getting a massage or a Reiki session to clear out any thoughts and feelings that are weighing you down. Taking care of yourself will help remind you of your worthiness, and that you are deserving of love, attention and to take up all the space you want.
Your journey to self-love creates a ripple in your life.
You’ll find that once you give yourself the attention you deserve, many parts of your world will start to fall into place. Luckily, it all begins with you. You can do this; I believe in you.
If you’re ready to feel the healing benefits of Reiki for yourself or to benefit your business,
take a look at all the services I offer to help support you.
With Love,
