In February, we focus a lot on the theme of “love”. While, of course, this is because of Valentine’s Day, we think it’s a great opportunity to meditate about love in a more global sense. Like, recognizing the love we both give and receive, which is not rooted in passion, but rooted in care for one another, and ourselves.
Having a good sense of self-love is important for our mental and physical wellbeing. There are so many ways you can show yourself some love. For example, you can engage in self-care activities, like treating yourself to a spa treatment or enjoying some alone time while reading. Engaging in self-love practices can be as straightforward as showing yourself compassion when facing a trying situation. Showing self-compassion is allowing yourself to try to understand yourself and grow from your experiences. At times, we can all be too hard on ourselves and it is important that we take time to take a break and show some love, compassion, and appreciation to ourselves.
Medical News Today discusses mindfulness practices as being a great way to engage in self-love and show compassion to ourselves. Check out their article here.
There is a famous saying, “You cannot pour from an empty cup.” I believe this to apply to our relationship with love as well. It is so important to be able to love yourself to the fullest in order to show your love and appreciation to others. Blogger and fellow therapist, Aerial, discusses the importance of loving yourself and ways to achieve this. Check out her article here.
The author, Aerial, goes into detail about self-compassion and how this is a key factor in loving yourself. Scheduling time for yourself throughout your week is a great way to unwind and show yourself love and compassion. One of the latest ways to schedule time for yourself throughout your week is follow the “Rule of Two.” The “Rule of Two” is dedicating two times a week to engage in your list of activities that bring happiness to your life. You can find “The Rule of Two” further explained here.
Very similar to “The Rule of Two,” Jillian Michaels schedules twelve hours of her week to engage in self-care activities as a way to show herself love and compassion and live a balanced lifestyle. You can read further about Jillian Michael’s self-love practices here.
One of my favorite ways to show myself love and compassion is to take time at the end of every day to journal. Journaling is a great way to reflect on our day as well as to set aside time to deepen our understanding of ourselves. To initiate your journey towards self-love, try starting with these journal prompts!
I hope this information helps you start or deepen your practices of self-love!
