4 Ways to Love Y-O-U
When I decided that I wanted to share something love-themed today, the hopeless romantic in me immediately gravitated to ways to connect with a special someone. As I was writing though, I kept coming back to how to be the best version of yourself in order to be the best for others. Quirks, talents, and all, the relationship we have with ourselves is the one we carry into every other connection with friends, family, and loves.
That said, I decided to hone in on self-love. Taking the time to love you not only keeps you at your best, but accordingly to researchers in the space, self-love and compassion supports increased strength and productivity, as well as decreased stress.
Soooo, in celebration of Valentine’s Day, below are easy ways that you can practice loving Y-O-U today and everyday.
1. Self-Reflection = New BFF
Taking a moment to press pause and reflect is powerful when it comes to giving you some much-needed love.
How you’re feeling, what you’re grateful for, what you’ve accomplished, or where you’re at in a certain part of your life are just some ideas of where to begin focusing 5 minutes of thought each day. Simply enjoy some silence and let your thoughts run. Being in this stillness and free thought allows you to actually connect with the inspiration and gratitude that constantly surrounds you.
When we don’t take this time to slow down, it is easy to slip into a non-stop, go, go, go mentality, wearing ourselves down and potentially even losing sight of what makes us happy, goals, dreams, and more. We miss the inspiration only we can bring ourselves.
Because self-reflection only requires a little stillness and your thoughts, squeezing it in whenever and wherever works for you is e-a-s-y – morning, night, even when you’re sitting in traffic!
I like to kick off every morning by reflecting and writing down three things that I am thankful for. From there, I let my mind wander. Allowing your mind to guide this time will open doors you didn’t even know were there.
2. Give Yourself a Compliment
The way we speak to ourselves is often much different than how we speak to others.
Instead of recognizing all that we should be so proud of, at the end of the day our minds easily float to what we didn’t get to, what we could have done better, and so on.
Make the effort to speak kindly to yourself and compliment something that you are proud of, accomplished, or challenged yourself to do everyday. Big or small, giving yourself some love with kind words impacts how we view ourselves, as well as our energy.
3. Pick a Mantra
Start each day with a mantra that you want to channel. Powerful mantras add perspective, encourage inspiration, get you into a strong mindset for the day, and, of course, leave us amped up for whatever the day brings.
If everyday feels a bit intimidating, try picking a new mantra for each week. Whether you need an added boost of motivation, a calming sentiment, or a conquer-the-world-esque pick me up; choose something that supports your confidence and gives you the warm and fuzzies.
4. Do YOU
The biggest challenge of all: do something for YOU.
Maybe it’s not realistic everyday, but every week run a bubble bath, go for a hike on your own, read a magazine, or cook a new recipe – whatever relaxes you.
For me, the point of taking this time is not just to recharge, but also to think about all that is on the horizon and express gratitude. Gratitude is at the center of happiness and thinking through all the past week and weeks ahead have brought hits the refresh button and keeps me centered.
This time to recharge and relax leaves you feeling thankful and present in the moment with where you are at.
Wishing you a day full of love.💋