A Guide To Adding More Self Love And Self Care Into Your Life
Self-love and self-care have become very trendy topics over the last year and honestly, I couldn’t’ be more thrilled! Taking care of ourselves should always be in style. When we take the time to love and care for ourselves we can love our lives more, have more confidence, feel more balanced and have healthier relationships. If you desire to love your life more and you need some help doing that, keep reading and start your self-love and self-care journey.
Even though self-love and self-care have been used interchangeably, there is a difference between them. Before I get into the differences between them know that both of them are important and when you add them to your life you will start to feel more confident, balanced and peaceful.
The Difference Between Self-Love And Self-Care
Self-care is when we actively participate in certain activities that make us feel good and improve our mental, physical, and emotional health. Self-care is really just when we take care of ourselves.
Self-love is more than spending an hour a day pampering ourselves. While it is important to take time daily to engage in self-care activities that bring us life and make us feel good, self-love is deeper than that.
Self-love is a way of being. It is loving ourselves so fully that we are completely whole from our love alone. Too often we look to our partners to make us feel loved, worthy, sexy, happy, smart, funny, important etc. Which gives them complete control over how we feel about ourselves. So if things don’t work out we are left feeling like we are not good enough. We need to love ourselves so much that we make ourselves feel fully loved, happy, worthy, sexy, smart, funny, or whatever else we are wanting a partner to make us feel. And any partner we have should just amplify the feelings that we already feel.
Self-love allows to stop looking for someone to make us feel the way we want to feel, and start feeling the way we want to feel. When we fully love ourselves we not only have more confidence but we also enjoy life more and have stronger, healthier relationships.
10 Ways To Fall In Love With Who You Are
Falling in love with yourself is so important. If you need help deepening your relationship with yourself try and use these techniques. Be advised that these activities can increase positive vibes, boost your confidence and make you feel good.
1. Treat Yourself Like You Would Treat A Loved One
Too often we are our hardest critiques. Some of the things we do and say to ourselves are things that we would never say to someone that we love. So when you are trying to fall more in love with your self, you need to start treating yourself with love. Whenever you do say or do something to yourself, stop and ask yourself, “would I do/say this to another person that I love?” If the answer is no, do not say/do it!
2. Get Comfortable Doing Things Alone
A great way to fall more in love with yourself is to get comfortable doing things alone. Spending time alone makes you release how awesome you, which can help you fall more in love. Take yourself on dates and enjoy your own company.
3. Be Gentle With Yourself When You Fail Or Make a Mistake
When you fail or make a mistake treat yourself gently. Remember that you are just a human and that you can bounce back from anything. Have grace and move forward with peace.
4. Use Affirmations
This is one that I personal use every day and I think is very effective. A great way to fall in love with yourself more is to tell yourself that you love yourself. Using positive affirmations like, “I love myself”, “I am deserving of love”, and “I love myself because __________” will help you to believe that you love yourself. Pro tip: say the affirmations while looking yourselves in the eyes in front of a mirror.
5. Travel
Travelling solo is a great way to fall in love with yourself more. You will likely be in different situations and have opportunities to grow. Travelling solo is a great way to figure out how you act in different situations and can show you some skills that you never knew that you had.
6. Give Yourself Your Wants And Needs
Too often we rely on others to fulfill us. A great way to fall more in love with yourself is to start giving yourself the things that you want and need. Make a list of the things that you want and need and start being the one to give them to yourself.
7. Listen To Pep Talks
You are what you listen to. If you want to strengthen your relationship with your self, you need to listen to things that encourage that. Find inspirational talks and listen to them as much as possible. Pro tip: watch my IGTV series, Monday’s Pep Talk!
8. Learn Who You Are And What You Want
Who are you? What do you like? What do you hate? Who do you want to be? What do you need to make you feel complete? Spend every day getting to know who you, not the person other people want you to be, but who you truly are. Take yourself on dates, try new things and put the effort in to discover who you are.
9. Make Peace With Your Past – Learn How To Forgive Yourself
This is a big one, healing from our pasts is so necessary for us to fall deeper in love with ourselves. Leave the past in the past, forgive yourself and others, and move on to a brighter future.
10. Take Responsibility For Your Life And Create Your Reality
At some point on your journey of self-love, you are going to need to accept responsibility for your life. Every decision that you have made has got you to where you are today – all the good and the bad. Embrace where you are at and start to make changes to any area in your life that you are not 100% satisfied with.
10 Ways To Practice Self-Care
There are many ways to practice self-care but here are some of my favourites:
1. Take a Bath
Taking a long, warm bath is one of the most perfect ways to relax and destress after a long day, week, a month or even a year. Add some essential oils, a bath bomb, bubbles and/or some bath salts to really be able to relax. Pro tip: mix eucalyptus, lavender and rosemary essential oils together and add them to your bath, it is my personal favourite calming blend.
2. Be Creative
Spend time away from your phone and other electronics and spend time creating with your hands. Paint, arrange flowers, take photos, colour, or anything else that helps you release your creativity. If you don’t know what you like to do, just try something.
3. Yoga
Yoga is a therapy for the body. I have been practicing yoga for 10 years and I always hit the mat when I feel like I need a little self-care.
4. Work Out
Get up and move! Whatever work out you like the best, do it as much as possible.
5. Listen To More Music
Music makes us feel things – a great self-care activity is to listen to music that makes you feel good. Dance around, sing at the top of your lungs and just enjoy yourself.
6. Do Something That You Love
What do you love to do? Add whatever you are passionate about in your daily life. Do you love cooking? Make time to make yourself more home cooked meals. Do you love writing? Make time to write.
7. Create A Morning Routine
Morning routines are great ways to prioritize adding self-care activities into your life. If you need help creating a morning routine check out my blog post, A Guide To Creating Your Own Morning Routine.
8. Do Something New
Adding new things into your routine is a great way to practise self-care. It will help you to get out of your comfort zone which can boost your confidence.
9. Meditation
Meditation is amazing. If you don’t already meditate, I recommend that you start. I great app for beginners is the Calm App – it actually has a guide that tells you how to meditate. Mediation is just a time where you actively quieting your mind. It is very simple, but the benefits are amazing. Not only does it help you be more focused, but it can also help boost your mood.
10. Journal
Journaling is a great way to release your feelings, practices gratitude and let go of the past, which are all great ways to practice self-care.
What self-care practices would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments. No matter where you are in your self-love journey, I hope this blog helps you fall deeper in love with yourself and with taking care of your self.
Remember that you are way good enough so love yourself, babe!
