Love yourself. It sounds so simple, yet so many of us struggle with doing it every day. Too often we get so caught up in the lives of those around us that we overlook the importance of setting aside a few minutes throughout the day to do something good for our souls. That said, here are 14 easy ways to show yourself the love you deserve.
1. Have "Me" Time
Learn to be comfortable with who you are and spend some time with yourself. Shut off your phone and go for a walk. Take a yoga class. Roam around the city. Go to a museum and stare at all the gorgeous art on the walls. See a movie. Grab lunch at the new restaurant that opened up down the street. It’s so vital to build up your own sense of self, and by going out and doing all the things that you want to do, you will come to cherish who you are.
2. Live A Healthy Life
Take a hot bath with pretty crystals and light a few candles after a long day. Keep a well-balanced diet and learn how to make a really good orange smoothie. Exercise daily. Get a good night’s sleep. Read the newspaper with your morning coffee and toast. Once you begin to take care of your mind and body, you’ll start to appreciate yourself a little bit more.
3. Meditate
Spend a few minutes every morning controlling your breath. Gather all of your thoughts and emotions and breathe. Get in tune with what is going through your head and what your heart is feeling. Acknowledge all that you're thankful for. Replace any negative thoughts you may have with positive ones and reinforce your confidence. Set a good tone for the day and allow yourself to refocus your priorities while becoming a more cheerful person.
4. Do what YOU love
I implore you to find a new hobby and immerse yourself into another world. Search for something that forces you to get your mind off things and do what you want to do. Take an art class and fall in love with how the brush glides across the paper. Join kickboxing and let all your aggression out on a punching bag. Pick up a few piano lessons and lose yourself in the notes and how your fingertips move from key to key. Develop a passion and give yourself the opportunity to let out your creativity. It’s one of the best ways to get in touch with your soul.
5. Treat Yo Self
Is there a new bag or pair of shoes you’ve had your eyes on? Have you been dying to get a massage or a mani-pedi? Take a trip to the mall and buy them. Wake up early one Sunday morning and go to the spa. You work so hard and juggle all the craziness life throws at you, so celebrate all that you've accomplished. There is no shame in treating yourself to something special. It’s such an empowering feeling to be able to take care of your own wants and needs, so please don’t feel bad about splurging on a new bracelet or a cute top. You deserve it!
6. Dress Up
Start your day with an optimistic attitude and a bold appearance! Take a little bit of extra time in the morning to put on something that allows you to exude confidence. Spend a few extra minutes doing your hair and makeup. Put on your favorite jewelry. You’ll feel great, be happier and you won’t pay so much attention to what those around you are saying.
7. Listen To Your Favorite Music
Nothing boosts my mood like jamming to my favorite songs while I’m getting ready or while I’m driving around during the day. Make a playlist that has all the songs that make you feel good to brighten your day.
8. Laugh
Being able to laugh at yourself is one of the first steps to loving yourself and being free. Don’t be afraid to be yourself and let out your silliness. We all make mistakes. If you spill coffee on yourself or trip up the stairs, don’t worry about it — make a joke about it and laugh it off. It’s OK not to be perfect all the time.
9. Take Pictures
When you’re out and about every day, take pictures. Capture every moment and find beauty in the stillness of life. Print them out and hang them on your walls. Each day as you look around your bedroom, you will be reminded just how precious life is. No matter what happens or what changes, the pictures will always remain the same. Maybe in a few years you’ll go through every photo and remember exactly where you were and how you felt when you took it. That’s important. Learn to love the life you are given and everything around you.
10. Stop Comparing Yourself To Others
We all do it. I’m definitely guilty of it. We stalk social media and gawk at all the prettiest girls we know. We obsess over the perfection some celebs possess and wish we could be them. We want their body, their hair, their eyes, their skin, their clothes, their personality, their boyfriend, their friends, their life. It’s sickening when you think about it. What’s so wrong with us? Why don’t we think we are enough? Why do we waste our time wishing and praying that we were someone else? It’s not fair. We don’t deserve it. It’s imperative that we learn to embrace the skin we’re in. Everyone is beautiful and unique in their own way and it’s time we start owning it. See the goodness in front of you and inside of you, and appreciate it.
11. Don’t Focus On Winning The Approval Of Others
Every day you wake up, remind yourself that the only person you need to satisfy is yourself. You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing and you don’t need to do what others want you to do. You do not need anyone's permission to live your life. Make your own decisions and make sure everything you do, you do for your own benefit, not because it’ll make your sister or best friend happy.
12. Let Go Of The Past
Stop trying to figure out why that person did what they did or where things went wrong. You may never know what that person was thinking or why it happened, but you need to realize that it did happen and now it’s time to let go. You can’t go back and fix things. Holding on to the past only prevents you from moving forward. I know it’s hard, but learn to accept that the past is the past and start fresh. You’ll be so much better off.
13. Forgive Those Who Have Done You Wrong
I bet you have a list of people who have done you wrong in your life, and you’re probably still mad at a handful of them, but you are human, and so are they. Everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes things happen for a reason. Carrying around anger only poisons you, so accept other people's faults and don’t hold it against them. It’ll make you a kinder and more compassionate person.
14. Start
Love yourself now, and don’t let anyone or anything define you. You are worth it and you deserve all the happiness in the world.
