5 tips to start cultivating self love
The most powerful thing we can do in life is to choose to love ourselves. To be our own best friend and make no hesitation to live a life we love. When we know who we really are, we can start to design our dream life and no goal seems unattainable. While it does take some digging and dedication to find this innermost place, my hope is that these five steps will make it easier to get there. The most important thing is that you commit to the end goal even when roadblocks occur. It is not easy to dig past years of limiting beliefs, deep ingrained fears, and feelings of unworthiness. But I promise that once you find this place and accept everything you are, you will feel more powerful then you can imagine and life will be infinitely better. So where to begin on this journey?
1. JournalBefore we can love ourselves, we have to connect to who we are at the core. What are our innermost fears and desires? When we have a heightened level of self awareness we can make better decisions, do more of what we love, and feel less guilt when saying no. But in order to achieve this connection to our inner guide, we must turn inward. A daily journal is the number one tool for this and what personally lead me down my self love journey. I continue to journal everyday and refer back to older entries to see how far I've come. Just start for five minutes a day and see what flows from you. Some good questions to start journaling about are: what does a perfect day look like for you? what did you enjoy as a child? what are you most afraid of? what made you smile today? what made you angry? And my favorite journaling practice is to do daily gratitude lists of what you most cherish in your life at any given moment. Lastly, spend some money on a journal you will be excited to use, I like moleskine brand.
2. Let people inContrary to the importance of turning inward is letting people in. For as long as I can remember until very recently, I lived in such an intense inner world but never shared it with anyone. This lead to paralyzing self doubt and getting dragged down by my ego until I had to shut it up somehow. It wasn't until I started reaching out to people that I realized we all struggle together. We are all human and I can guarantee that someone else out there shares the same fears as you. Confused on where to go in life? Reach out and you will be surprised at how many people feel the same. And when something great happens in your life, share it too! The people that deserve a place in your life will be right there in the celebration with you. You don't have to struggle during a challenging time alone. Once you realize your fears you will be able to love yourself even more and know that you are doing the best you can. We are here to connect with each other, utilize the people that were brought into your life.
3. Take pride in your foodThis step was the initial launching point for my journey, although I had no idea at the time. Food is a very emotional thing for everyone and oftentimes, the only thing we feel that we can control in life. My feelings of self doubt and ingrained limiting beliefs manifested in me trying every diet imaginable. We believe that if we can just stick to this diet then we will be happy. But this thinking removes us from self awareness. Only our bodies can tell us the best way to fuel ourselves. Nowadays I subscribe to a philosophy of eating foods as close to their whole form but also paying attention to how my body responds. Start paying attention to the feedback you are receiving from food. Once you experience how good you can feel you will never turn back. You will show self love by feeding yourself right. You will finally have the energy to chase after your dreams and see what is possible. Take pride in the nourishment you give yourself, it's the foundation of a happy life.
4. Move your bodyLife is about growing and expanding ourselves past our comfort zones, and this refers in the physical sense as well. When we move our bodies we feel more alive and connected to our inner source. But something even better happens when we get up and move, we feel motivated to pursue our goals. Answers to our problems suddenly become clear, that inner voice seems to be woken up. Aside from finding exercise that you love to do and will revisit routinely, is the power of a simple walk. When I am feeling overwhelmed or have reached a mental block, I go on an long walk and its exactly the cure I need. I challenge you to start incorporating more walks into your life, even try leaving your phone at home so it is just you and your thoughts. You will soon appreciate your body for what it is capable of and may surprise yourself just how strong you can become.
5. Develop a morning routineThis last point is my absolute favorite one that is imperative for my well being. I've grown to love the mornings and cherish the stillness before the day starts. The morning represents so much possibility and a blank canvas for what you want to achieve. Utilizing this time to have a routine will guarantee that you set your self up for success. Even just five minutes of sipping your coffee uninterrupted will work wonders. A routine is a gift you give yourself before you can show up for others. Sometimes my routine will vary- journaling, reading, listening to music. But I always allow time to make myself a filling breakfast and ample time to get ready for my day. This sets up a calming tone to the day and you will find that facing problems will be easier when you are in that mindset. Decide what morning routine will set you up to live your best life everyday and make a commitment to yourself to stick to it. Nothing will increase your level of self love faster.
Let me know which of these resonate with you and how you practice self love!