Self-love is easier said than done. Women preach self-love all the time, but it seems like the idea of loving oneself is only becoming harder. Filters and fake portrayals of body images remind women daily of their imperfections. Social media has sparked the conversation of self-love more than ever, and now it is being used as a channel to spread the truth that all-natural features are worth loving. But is body image and appearance all that self-love entails?
Yes, it is so important to embrace your physical characteristics, but self-love doesn’t stop at the acceptance of your natural appearance. Self-love is an ongoing, conscious effort of respecting, appreciating, and taking care of yourself. Self-love fulfills the needs of both your mind and your body. Keep reading to get an idea of what self-love can look like today.
Positive Affirmations
Scientific studies show that positive affirmations help overcome negative thoughts and threats to a person’s wellbeing and happiness. It is important to note that positive affirmations do not change or improve circumstances but affect the way people process thoughts about themselves. Positive thoughts and statements activate the brain’s reward system and minimize the feeling of stress, anxiety, and depression. Words have power, so don’t talk down on yourself. Science aside, treat yourself the way you would treat others.
Fuel The Body with Substantial, quality meals
Foods that the body loves in the morning are avocados, eggs, chia and flax seeds, protein smoothies, blueberries, yogurt, and good protein, like salmon. Try to choose hearty over sweet for breakfast- it makes a big difference. Throughout the day, listen to your body and get creative. Try new recipes and have fun re-creating ideas with friends and roommates.
Strengthen the mind through curiosity and learning
Challenging the mind through new skills, hobbies, and courses improves overall brain health and can even decrease the chances of dementia. This does not mean forcing down an overload of credits or hours. Self-love is finding interest in a topic, becoming educated so that you can engage in and contribute to society, and giving yourself an opportunity to become smarter every day. Just think, getting up every day and going to class is a form of self-love.
Allow time For Leisure and community
Human nature needs companionship, conversation, and community. Surround yourself with people who will lift you up, hang out with you, and create a positive environment. A healthy community produces lasting memories and gives back what you give to others. It’s so important to be around people who will actively put you in a position to love yourself. That said, don’t forget to set aside you-time and find things you can enjoy on your own. Self-love needs to be found within.
Make Room For Rest
The best night routines are the ones that rejuvenate and bring back that external glow that the week stole. Face masks and pouring your heart into your shower playlist are essential, but they can’t bring life back completely. Sleep is the most effective way to fully pamper and refresh the body from the inside out. While asleep, cells repair damages from blue light, stress, inflammation, and much more. The body cleans out toxins and heals itself so that it can function well during the day. The CDC recommends at least 7 hours of sleep for college students.
End the Day Right
When the day ends, give yourself grace for the day’s mistakes and the things that didn’t go as planned or as desired. Instead of beating yourself up, learn from what could have been done better and look forward to tomorrow- it only brings second chances. Then, switch the mindset. What did go well? Self-love doesn’t make sense without acknowledging and being proud of the accomplishments you’ve made in your lifetime, and today.
Although this may make self-love sound easy- it’s not all the time. Loving oneself, for some reason, is sometimes harder than loving others. However, it is important to remember that self-love doesn’t have to be an end goal or something that one wished they had and could live by. It really lies in the little things and all the daily activities that women perform without thinking twice. It doesn’t require anyone to go out of their way. It just requires some extra intentions day by day.