There are countless ways to show up for yourself, improve your mental health, and to help you love you. But here are a few important practices to start with:
- Get Some Damn Rest! – getting adequate sleep and practicing good habits can help relieve stress, clear your mind, and start helping you feel physically and mentally better. It is also important to rest when you need to. Take pauses or breaks and remember that rest is in fact productive too.
- Exercise – appropriate movement for your abilities and boundaries can be beneficial. Get outside, take a walk, stretch, play fetch with your dog, stand, or any sort of movement that suits you. Take this time to give your brain a break or maybe even dedicate this time to focus on your feelings or thoughts.
- Eat – I’m not gonna preach about any food pyramids here but let’s just start with eating your three meals a day and don’t forget that breakfast is in fact an important one. Snack it up! And for god sake, if eating a cupcake will bring you joy today then prioritize yourself and eat the damn cupcake!
- Breathe – Obviously you do this all the time. But if emotions are building, or the stakes have risen at work or whatever is challenging you, do yourself a favor and pause for a minute to just breathe. Clear your mind. You will always have you – Pat yourself on the back, set a goal, trust yourself, and love you too.
- Do Something For Yourself – Take a bath, try a face mask, participate in a hobby, stretch, go for a walk, take a break, read. Whatever it is you need, just do it. You will thank yourself later.
- Feel The Damn Feels – You won’t be happy every day, so if you’re not happy, then what are you feeling? Why? And what do you need? Avoiding feelings is the best way to pile sh*t in a box only for it to overflow and explode later. Identify your feelings and remember it’s ok to feel them and sit with them. You might even be feeling more than one. You are human and complex, so prioritize yourself and just feel.
- Be Kind – Try some affirmations. Take that cruel thought you just had about yourself and mentally crumble it up into a ball and toss it in the trash. Say three kind things about yourself. Set a boundary. Take a break. Set a goal and once you reach it, celebrate by reminding yourself how awesome you are!
- Stop Being A Critic – You don’t need to judge yourself by comparing your body or abilities to others in any way. It doesn’t really serve any purpose other than to set yourself up for feeling insecure or not enough. Everyone is unique. Be the best you!
Self-love can be difficult sometimes. But the more you practice, the more natural it will become, and the better your mental health will be. You are a wonderful being that is more than worthy of love even from yourself. In the meantime, remember I love you and you should love you too!
If you want to read more about the importance of self-love, head over to my post “All You Need Is Love – From Yourself”
All You Need Is Love – From Yourself