Written by Kiana Mason
As we reflect on International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month we are reminded of all of the amazing things that women have accomplished. We honor inspiring women with tributes, reading their biographies and sharing their legacy of excellence. We send thank yous to female role models in our own lives and show them they are appreciated. Many of us never stop and take the chance to honor ourselves with self-love. This year, show yourself some love too!
Self-love is an important part of being healthy, productive and able to achieve a deeper sense of happiness. Although self-care and self-love go hand in hand, achieving self-love takes more than taking care of your immediate, surface-level needs and wants. You need to make time to get to know yourself and figure out what truly makes you happy and what you can live without.
This process is different for everyone but ProFlowers put together four steps, actionable tips and an infographic (that you can check out below) to help with the journey of self-love. To begin this process you must be open to change, honest with yourself, compassionate, ready to forgive and let go.
Step 1: Identify anything that’s weighing you down.
Take a look at the places in your life where you feel like you may be struggling. Take ownership of your feelings and try to not place outward blame where it doesn’t exist. Ask yourself if you are sabotaging yourself with negative thoughts or actions. Try mind-mapping to work backward and find the root of any issues or negative forces in your life.
Step 2: Reject negativity.
When negativity arises try to figure out what you really need. Find out why you’re having these negative thoughts and find ways to move forward and not dwell. For example, take “I look/feel so ____.” and turn that into “I feel great when I am doing ____, I should make more time for this.” Try writing a letter to yourself as if you were your own best friend, encouraging, honest and compassionate.
Step 3: Explore your self-love needs
Try out new and more nurturing practices or return to practices that made you happy in the past. The only way to find your personal self-care/love routine is by experimenting. Keep track of your progress and discoveries through journaling. Your self-love routine should address your physical, mental and spiritual needs. If negative thoughts arise, try reciting positive affirmations out loud to shift your mindset into a healthier and more positive space.
Step 4: Put what you learn into practice.
If you have identified that you are craving more of a certain thing in your life, maybe it’s more reflection, alone-time, family-time, exercise, hobby time or something else. Put these insights into use by making them a priority and carving out time for the activity regularly. This includes addressing inner and outer negativity when it arises.
Remember that self-love is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the adventure!
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