While Valentine’s Day is steadily approaching, love is truly in the air, but Valentine’s day shouldn’t be a holiday purely based on romantic love. Let this be the Valentines day you learn to love yourself!
Photo by Hannah grace on Unsplash.
Start your day with a self-love affirmation instead of your newest update on Twitter.
The first thing we do in the morning is check our phone to see what’s going on, whether it’s figuring out how to use the horrible new Snapchat update, reading about what’s going on in the world of Twitter, or checking if that cute guy in your History class posted on Instagram. Instead of doing that the second we wake up, try a self-love or motivational mantra to start your day because if you keep telling yourselves this, it will help you become more confident and full of self-love!
Examples to get you started:
I acknowledge my own self-worth, I am a confident, vivacious person and I will kick this day’s ass!
Life can be hard, but I am doing amazing taking one step at a time and this day will bring more opportunities.
I am worthy of love and all the good things coming my way.
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash.
Change your vocabulary.
Let’s make 2018 the year where we don’t constantly say self-deprecating jokes. After awhile, the jokes are not just that, eventually you start to believe them. So, cut the jokes because there are a lot more things funnier than bagging about your insecurities.
Start new hobbies.
Easier said than done, but trust me, a new hobby to focus on will give you more motivation in your day. You don’t have to do anything extravagant, like getting your pilot’s license, but start with something small.
Examples:
Learn to draw- but start with mastering one part of it (eyes, hands, trees)
Write poetry
Try to start running, rock climbing, other active activities
Start making playlists of new artists you find
Pamper yourself.
Pampering yourself does not necessarily mean a day full of face masks and extremely expensive products, it could also mean a lazy day. Whatever relaxes you, do it once a week, whether it’d be putting on a charcoal mask and watching Sex and the City, or staying in bed all day watching Netflix and eating soup. You should just try and give yourself a day to feel like the rejuvenated, fabulous queen you are.
Feel the burn.
As I said before, hobbies are needed, but we’re growing up and let’s face it, we need to work out. We can’t live our lives as couch potatoes anymore, so experiment with different exercises, like yoga, pilates, meditation, Zumba, or belly dancing. Go to the Hofstra Fitness Center for free classes or spam those YouTube videos. There’s a reason why everyone tells you to work out and eat right and your body will thank you later!
Start a happy journal.
Everyday try to list 2-5 good things that happened to you before you go to bed – no matter how small. Then, when you are having a bad day just look at it to remind yourself of all the happy moments you have experienced.
Take 10 minutes.
Life gets crazy no matter who you are, but we all have at least 10 minutes during the day to relax. Use the Calm app for the background noise of your choice, take deep breathes, reflect on your day, and tell yourself self-love affirmations.
Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash.
Random acts of kindness.
What you put out to the universe comes back to you, so do everything with kindness. Try paying for a strangers coffee, tutor someone, give advice, listen, and do anything to bring joy to someone else’s life.
Time is your best friend, buy a planner.
The stress of our lives can add up with school, job, extracurricular activities, etc. The best solution is to learn time management and buy a planner because trust me, you won’t survive college without one. Think about it, if you set aside time to do what you love and manage your time so all-nighters become a myth, you’re going to feel better about yourself.
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash.
Get out those negative energies.
You will always find more friends and a significant other, so if they are giving you so much stress to the point where you can’t go 2 days without a panic attack or a crying fit, then cut them out of your life. If you need more proof, then get a calendar and put an X over the days where these people have made you upset as this will help show you how bad the relationship is. Then, remind yourself that you deserve love, and don’t deserve the tears.
Spend less time on social media.
I know it’s the most difficult pursuit ever, and I’ve even uninstalled and reinstalled Instagram way too many times to count, but you don’t have to uninstall to be happy. Instead, just attempt to limit your time spent on social media to a certain number of times a day. Eventually, the FOMO will fade, and you’ll even love the chill nights.
Photo by davide ragusa on Unsplash.
Go on an adventure.
Lastly, explore. Whether it’s to a new coffee shop, getting on a train to a new town, or exploring the east coast, do it. Not only will it be a great story to tell, but getting in touch with yourself or sharing an amazing time with your friends, a change of scenery will help change any dreary mindset.
Photo by Brittney Burnett on Unsplash.
Like anything good in life, nothing comes easy, but it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try, especially when it comes to loving ourselves. Let’s start breaking down the belief that the only kind of love worthy is romantic love. Let this be the year for all kinds of love, including self-love.
Cover Photo by Matias Rengel on Unsplash.