3 Ways to Practice Self-Love

Self-love is an elusive concept-turned-marketing-ploy, ruthless commandeered by brands to sell us things we don’t need as supposed keys to happiness.

But true self-love comes from within and should be built into your routine. Yet it’s difficult to know when to start – when our lives get busy and other things take precedent, we often let out self-care become the first thing to slip down the pecking order.

To prevent that from happening, these are just five practical ways to master the art of self-love. 

Affirmations

An oft-touted positivity practice, affirmations and manifestations are a powerful way to harness an optimistic mindset.

Focus on phrases which improve your self-esteem and make you feel empowered. Instead of allowing negativity to dictate your outlook, cultivate a can-do attitude and create your own hype – it sounds cliché, but believing in yourself can go a long way.

Growth

It’s important to seek out opportunities for growth that can boost your confidence and help you achieve your goals, whether in self-fulfilment, in your personal life or in your career.

Learning is a powerful tool for this, whether you’re mastering crochet via YouTube tutorials or taking an online degree from a diverse array of opportunities, such Anglia Ruskin University’s distance learning platform.

Assertion

Asserting yourself is one of the most difficult skills to learn – and the most necessary.

Learn to put your foot down and say no when you need to. Taking care of others is a natural instinct and a part of human connection, but it’s not a crime to set boundaries and put yourself first once in a while.

Find joy

Often, we deny ourselves opportunities for joy and relaxation when we feel we don’t deserve them, and we view them as a reward rather than a necessity.

And though self-care is more complex than fluffy notions of a hot bubble or reading a book with a good cup of tea, these things can be very good for our wellbeing.

It’s always important to make time for the things that make you happy. Taking time to wind down is an invaluable way to escape the stresses of everyday life.

Reflect

Ever feel like something’s wrong, but you can’t quite put your finger on it?

Reflection is a powerful tool that can help us find our true direction. It’s healthy to check in with yourself and assess situations when they are no longer beneficial to us.

For instance, is your job making you unhappy? How can you improve your working environment, reach out for help? Alternatively, is there time for a change in career?

Perhaps you have friendships that take more than they give. It can be hard to bring these relationships to an end but don’t feel guilty for limiting contact with those who drain your energy.

When we fail to reflect on our lives and how they make us feel, we often find life just sort of happens to us. Before we know it, we feel trapped in situations we’d do anything to escape, without the tools to change them. By checking in with yourself and putting yourself first, you prevent burnout and unhappiness and will find it easier to drive change in situations that no longer work for you.

These are just five ways to practise self-love in your everyday life.

How do you practice self-love? Share your rituals and habits in the comments below!

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