As I scroll through Instagram while walking into the pharmacy, it is hard to not get slapped in the face with valentine’s day overload. The signs, commercials, posts… it’s unavoidable, it is everywhere.
With so much focus on “love” this month I wanted to be able to think about not only giving love to others but learning how to also take it for ourselves. This may sound a bit selfish but how can we give love to our partners, children, and friends if we can’t give it to ourselves? I often have a hard time accepting my own self-love.
For example, I can find myself letting negative thoughts come into my mind when I look in the mirror. I can compare myself to others. I am not very good at accepting others’ compliments and often deflect them. At the end of the day, I can feel overwhelmed that I have not achieved enough. I know so many can relate to these feelings so how do we change the dialogue?
Self-love is so important and so powerful how do we manifest it in our day to day lives. Here are a few small ideas so that this February you can work on creating some major self-love
- EVERYDAY wake up and say the 3 things about yourself that make you amazing.
- Be mindful of those negative voices and focus on changing the dialogue when they rear their ugly head. Use that moment to repeat those positive affirmations a few times, so you leave those negative thoughts behind you.
- When you are done for the day remind yourself of all the things you did achieve and if there are things you missed make a written plan to take care of them the next day, so you feel proactive and not guilty.
- Never compare yourself to others, you are unique. We all have something special to offer so change the focus on what you can do and achieve. Keep your eyes on your own road.
- Even if only for 10 minutes, move your body every day. Do it because you love yourself. Exercise should be for love not for torture.
- Take some time for pampering.
- Forgive yourself when sometimes you can’t do something. No one can do everything, that’s a fact!
- Honor your feelings and your cravings. Suppression often leads to overindulgence and guilt. So, if you are angry take the moment to BE angry. If you want that cookie badly, eat it and enjoy every bite.
- Spread the love and you will feel the love