10 Self-Love Habits that Changed My Life
Self-love is about knowing and accepting yourself as you are – and striving for things that will uplift you and benefit you long-term. It’s not about right now, it’s about the bigger picture. It’s about building a loving and trusting relationship with yourself.
Over the last few years, I’ve built some life-changing self-love habits and I want to share them with you so that you can also do the same!
I’m creating a series of videos on those practices, if YouTube is your thing, here’s my playlist with all of them – save it to be able to come back to them and to watch new videos as they come out:
1. Gratitude
Gratitude is the most foundational of them all. It has had a transformative effect on my self-acceptance and perception of myself – and there are a ton of scientifically proven benefits of this practice on our brains.
I practice it every day as part of my morning routine, it only takes me 3 minutes a day. It’s so simple and yet incredibly powerful – learn more about this wonderful practice in my blog post about it and get started on it asap.
2. Affirmations
Affirmations are statements affirming something about you or your life. They help you shift your perspective to a positive one and allow you to believe empowering things about your situation.
Here’s an example of one of the very first affirmations I wrote:
I’m proud of who I am today and of who I will be tomorrow. I’m worthy of success and happiness.
Affirmations may feel weird at first, but they are also incredibly powerful. I practice them every morning during my morning routine as well and I’ll create a separate video + blog post on this practice soon!
3. Meditation
If you’ve never meditated, this practice might seem intimidating – where do you even start? Well, the good news is that there’s no right or wrong way to do it!
Meditation is a practice of slowing down, staying present and mindfully experiencing the physical sensations you’re feeling – as well as your emotions. It helps you gain perspective and build self-awareness, which has so many benefits on your mental health as well as your perception of who you are.
And there are a ton of free resources, YouTube videos and apps that help you kick-off or keep track of your practice. I’ve created a list of them, get it here!
4. Journalling
Journalling was the most mysterious practice for me before I started – what do you even journal about? Is it like keeping a diary?
Again, there isn’t a right or wrong way to do it. I know some people use this technique to document their lives, some to generate ideas, some to get their thoughts out, etc. I use it for a combination of those things too, but my main use for this practice is working through my thoughts and emotions. It also helps with my self-love habits.
For me, journaling is very similar to talking through your feelings with your best friend – and once you get your thoughts on paper, the issues don’t feel as dramatic. It’s a way for me to get out of my head and stop overthinking everything.
5. Morning routine
I was surprised by how creating repetition and routines helps you feel more secure. Especially when it’s a combination of practices that are good for you – before you start your day!
My morning routine is sometimes the only constant variable in my nomadic lifestyle with so many uncertainties and moving peaces (or under a global lockdown!). Starting my day off with this wonderful self-love habit that makes me feel productive has wonderful effects on my mental health.
Watch out for content on how to create your own morning routine soon!
6. Reading
We all know that reading is good for us, it enriches us and can be an amazing workout for the imagination. They make us feel more productive and like better humans – which is great for our self-esteem and relationship with ourselves. However, we don’t always make time for it, so our reading lists just keep on growing!
I’ve started reading more by discovering audio books – which has allowed me to zoom through my reading list while doing something else. I was opposed to that format for a while, but if it’s hard to carve out intentional time to sit down and read, you should adapt.
I’ve also discovered that as someone who has dyslexia, different formats of consuming information is actually very helpful in increasing my learning abilities, so I now use a service that synchronises my audio books with digital text!
7. Exercising
Exercising is normally seen as a punishment for what you’ve eaten – gotta burn off those calories, but that’s a toxic way to perceive this wonderful activity. It should be perceived for what it is: for keeping your body strong and improving your health.
Once you shift that perception, it becomes a tool for self-love and self-improvement. Being happier with the way you look and feel is an added bonus 😉 Try shifting your mindset and exercising on a regular basis will become much easier!
8. Sleeping
This is such a foundational and important habit – we need to get proper sleep to function and feel like ourselves. However, a lot of us don’t make an intentional effort to get the sleep we need, thinking that we will power through.
Well, that has a domino effect on our productivity, creativity, performance, self-perception and so on. It is hard to have self-love when you’re exhausted! It’s a negative downward spiral that can only be broken by being intentional about our sleeping habits.
9. Self-awareness
There are a ton of benefits that stem from us being more self-aware, but that doesn’t come naturally. Self-awareness is a muscle that needs to be practised.
When I started being more intentional about building it, I’ve started noticing patterns in my behaviour and understanding why I behave the way I do. Why do I react the way I do? What triggers me? How does it all affect my mood and people around me?
This information helps me accept myself as I am. It also gives me actionable insights into how I can get myself out of downward spirals and create a positive environment for myself.
10. Cutting on negative self-talk
Let’s be honest, we are our biggest critics. Our inner voices can be so mean to us and it’s important to recognize that behaviour and change it.
Try to notice patterns on when that negative self-talk kicks in and try to attach a positive action to that behaviour. For, example, for me it was every time I looked at myself in the mirror – I would find something wrong with myself each time. Once I’ve recognised that pattern, I’ve attached a positive behaviour to that – by giving myself a compliment too. Slowly that behaviour took over and it’s been an incredible confidence booster!
Be kind to yourself and treat yourself the same way as you would treat your best friend 🥰
So there you have it! If you’d like to learn more about each practice and get my tips on how to start that habit, save this playlist on YouTube!
Let me know in the comments if you’re practising any of these already and what else would you add to this list 🙂
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