5 Self Love Habits That Will Change Your Life
- Sep 22, 2020
- 5 min read
There are so many times when we, as humans, decide that we are not good enough. For a lot of people this is especially true when it comes to their appearance. Society has given everyone impossible beauty standards, not to mention that they change every few years, so they are impossible to keep up with. It starts young too. It has been ingrained in our brains since a young age. 47% of childcare workers have reported hearing negative body image statements from 6-10 year olds!
The habits I will tell you about in this blog have significantly changed the way I view myself, and I am hoping that it changes that for you too!
Unfortunately, I cannot solve all of your self-confidence issues or low self-esteem, (although I wish I could!), but these habits will make things a little easier and give you a newfound sense of confidence. If you feel that you have serious mental health issues relating to this, please seek professional help! It is okay to need help and it does not make you weak, it makes you so so brave.
Actively Practicing Self Love
If you take a few minutes out of every single day to practice self-love I promise you will feel a difference. Everyone is different, but some suggestions are, doing a face mask, taking a walk, going outside, working out, taking a bath, drawing, baking, reading, or just spending quiet time with yourself. Find something to do that you are doing for you and only you. Something that makes you feel good, relaxed, and loved.
Positive Self Talk, Affirmations, and Journaling
It is no secret that writing things down can make them stick in your brain. Studies show that physically writing down notes helps students remember what they are writing better than if they just read it. This can be true for self-love affirmations as well.
Affirmations are just a way to "affirm" something to yourself or others. A great way to use them is by writing them down, saying them in your head, or saying them out loud. Here are some examples of positive affirmations that can give you a more positive outlook on life in general, but also your own self-image.
These affirmations are just the start to a more positive mindset and self-image. Some ways I would recommend using this technique is writing them down every night or morning, saying them out loud to yourself in a mirror, and also constantly thinking about them and reminding yourself every day. It might feel silly, but it is so important to replace any negative thoughts with positive ones when possible. If you feel a negative thought coming up such as "I am not good enough" push it away in your mind with the thought "I AM good enough, and I am worthy"
I would also recommend getting a journal that you can customize and make it feel like your own, this way it will be the place you keep all of your affirmations and reflections. I used to think that journaling was silly and the thought of keeping a "diary" just seemed so childish (even though I'm literally a child), but it has helped me get over many COVID-19 anxieties, and also reflect on my own self-image. I recommend journaling every night, this helps get everything off your mind which can also help with sleep. Maybe I need to make a whole separate journaling blog post haha!
Gratitude
I'm sure you have heard people say many times how important it is to be grateful, but you may not have actually stopped to think about it. Not only can gratitude change your life in many ways, but in my experience it can also help your confidence and self-love.
Let's look at it from the perspective of someone who is self-conscious about their body. Human bodies are INCREDIBLE! I mean think about it: our skin cells repair themselves when we have a cut, our appendix could be cut out of our body and we could survive, our brains control everything, and for women at least, we can make other humans! When you change your perspective of your body it can shift your entire mindset. It is important to look at our bodies from a health and gratitude point of view instead of looking at it so critically from a beauty point of view.
Another cliché but it's true: health does not have a weight, or a size. Acne, stretch marks, cellulite, dark spots, body hair, dry skin, rolls, etc are all normal!
So how should you use gratitude to change the way you view your body? Similarly to the affirmations and journaling, I would recommend writing and saying out loud what you are grateful for. You can even buy pre-made gratitude journals if you really want to get fancy.
Examples of a few things you should be grateful for:
-Even though your period may be painful or annoying, you should be grateful that your body is functioning normally and doing what it needs to do.
-Be grateful to your legs for letting you walk, run, jump, and more!
-Be grateful for your mouth, teeth, and lips for letting you share your smile with the world.
-Even if you are not happy with the way they look currently, be grateful for your arms, they help you lift things up, hug people, touch things, and so much more!
Saying "I Love You" to Yourself
You might think this sounds stupid or silly, and I did too when I first hear about it, but it really does make a difference. I recommend doing this in the morning right away or at night before bed, but whatever works for you is good. Say "I love You" to yourself in the mirror at least 5 times a day if not more. If you want to take it another step further, say I love you to every part of your body, even the ones you are insecure about. Say I love you to your legs, arms, feet, hands, face, and every other part of your body. This will help you be in a positive mood for the day or night, and substantially improve your self-image.
Eventually you may even find yourself smiling after doing this. Compliments from other people feel good right, so why not compliment ourselves to make us feel good. Think about the way you talk to your pet, family, or best friends. You would never want to intentionally hurt them or bring down their confidence, so treat yourself the same way!
Talk to yourself positively and you will start to believe the things you are telling yourself, which leads us right in to our next point, which is all about how to develop confidence even if you have absolutely none at this moment.
"Fake it till you make it"
You have probably heard this quote many times before, but I'm going to give you another way to use it and implement it into your life today. If you think you have 0% confidence right now, that is okay, think about how there's nowhere to go but up! Confidence is something that takes practice, much like learning a new instrument or training for a sport. If you start acting like you are confident, it will eventually develop into confidence. Let me explain how that is possible.
You can literally convince yourself that you are confident. It won't happen in a day, but over time that confidence will develop and you won't be faking it anymore. Remember that you are a badass and watch yourself SHINE baby!
Thank you for reading one of my first blog posts! I hope you enjoyed this one, I put a lot of work into doing research and writing it all out :)
Love you all!
-Julia
Comments