5 Simple Ways To Practice Self-Love

We believe that self-love is one of the main ingredients to our happiness. When we truly love ourselves, we attract wonderful experiences. However, practicing self-love can be challenging as we often compare ourselves to others, nit-pick our own flaws and worry too much about other people’s opinions.

Getting to a place of self-love will be a daily practice. When we accept ourselves for who we are and start to love ourselves unconditionally - magic happens. Our Marketing Intern Aida, who has a blog on self-love and mindful lifestyle, wants to share 5 simple tips on how to practice self-love:

1. Morning Meditation

Meditation is a wonderful practice. It can be super beneficial to help increase awareness, bring on a sense of calmness, reduce stress/anxiety and most importantly, work towards happiness and feeling satisfaction in your life. Practicing meditation is a way to get to know your mind, thoughts, fears, desires, and your inner world.

I started practicing meditation about a year ago and I’ve never felt happier or healthier. Before that, I thought that meditation was not for me. I didn’t think I could sit in one position for an hour with a clear mind. But it is completely untrue. Meditation is as important as brushing your teeth in the morning. It helps you to see things with a greater perspective. 

Meditation doesn’t have to be long, I usually spend about 10 minutes in the morning and it changes my whole outlook for the day. If you have thoughts running through your mind it is totally okay! Just try to focus on your breath. Focus on your inhales and exhales and overtime, it will improve your meditation practice.

If you are looking for some guided meditation books here are some of my favourites:

1. Louisa Hay. Morning Meditation
2. 5 Minutes Clearing Guided Meditation
3. Miracle Morning Meditation

I start my meditation by lighting an incense and gently waving it in the air to create a calm and peaceful atmosphere.  Usually, I use the HOLISTICK Lotus incense, as it is ideal for my personal practice. The scent of Lotus incense makes me feel like I am somewhere far and tropical, alone, face to face with nature.

2. Practice Affirmations

Have you ever noticed the way you speak to yourself? It is so easy to slip into a negative cycle where you start to use words such as: I’m not good enough, I’m not beautiful, I’m not special and I-can’t-do-this type language. The more we allow negative self-talk to happen, the more we start to believe it.

That is why it is very important to stop negative self-talk when we catch ourselves saying it. Instead, replace it with positive affirmations. Nurture your inner world with kindness and you will feel wonderful changes.

Instead of:

• I am not good enough → I am enough. I am worthy of everything wonderful in this world.
• I am nothing special→ I am beautiful. I am unique. 
• I cannot do this → I can do this. I own my life.

Practicing affirmations can help boost your self-love. I practice my affirmations every morning in front of the mirror by repeating them out loud for about 2-3 minutes. You can also practice your affirmations by writing them down, thinking them in your head, or whispering them under your breath. The most important aspects of affirmations are: consistency and truly feeling the words. Don’t be shy! It may feel awkward at first but it will become more natural with practice. Here are some of my favourite affirmations:

• I create my own reality. I’m the author of my life
• I love my life, and so does life
• I prosper wherever I turn
• I live in the present and am confident of the future
• Life is very simple. What I give out comes back to me. Today I choose to give love.

If you want to find more affirmations, Louisa Hay’s website is really useful.

3. Read Books

“Let us remember: One Book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world” - Malala Yousafzai

Reading is such a powerful method of learning. Books can educate, inspire, heal and connect. There are so many amazing self-help books that can guide you on your road to self-care and self-love. Here are some of my favourite books - they have inspired me to change my life and I hope they will change yours too:

• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
• You Can Heal Your Life By Louisa Hay
• The Answer by Allan and Barbara Pease
• Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One by Joe Dispenza

4. Appreciate & Thank Yourself

Have you ever noticed that we thank others yet we always forget to thank ourselves? Yes, it is also important to appreciate yourself and all that you accomplish. You can give “thanks” by dedicating time for yourself every night to help reset, realign and refresh mentally. 

1. I turn off my phone and all electronic devices.

2. I listen to mantras while I prepare to sleep. They help fill my mind and heart with love. I feel so calm and thankful after listening to them.

These are my favourite ones:

• Mantras for Happiness and Joy
• Mantras for Deep Inner Peace
• Mantra for Being In Your Power & to Develop Radiant Body 

3. I take a hot bath. I don’t do this every night, but it’s my must ritual on the weekends. According to Healthline, an hour-long bath can have health benefits such as: reducing pain and improving blood circulation. To elevate my bath experience, I love using Bali Bloom Bath Salts. It’s a mixture of Dead Sea and Pink Himalayan Salts infused with Balinese floral oils. This bath salt reminds me of my wonderful trip to Indonesia. It helps me feel so relaxed, calm and even helps with my insomnia. Definitely give it a try!

4. I apply my face mask and read. Reading before going to sleep helps me dive into a different world for a moment. By dedicating only 20 minutes each night, it helps me stay consistent and I am able to read more books!
5. I talk to myself. I analyze my whole day. I ask myself how I felt today, what made me feel uncomfortable etc. I apologize to myself if I was rude or hard. I remind myself about how wonderful and beautiful of a person I am. 
6. I finish my ritual by telling myself that tomorrow will be an amazing day! 

5. Forgive Yourself 

Sometimes the hardest part on our path to self-love is to forgive ourselves for past mistakes. We are often so hard on ourselves and never let go of past feelings of guilt.

I want to share a piece of wisdom that I learned while I was on a trip to Japan. My family and I decided to visit Kyoto, the cultural and historical heart of Japan. On the entrance to the Ninna-Ji Temple, we noticed a wooden board where people were able to write anything they wanted to share with the world. While almost everything was written in Japanese, my sister was able to understand and translate a quote that touched my heart.

“Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in this life has a purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.”

This has helped me to understand that my past mistakes helped me become who I am today. Now when I look back at my past experiences, I am always thankful.

“How You Love is How You Teach Others to Love You”. - Rupi Kaur

 

 

Written by: Aida Baissyrymova

IG: aida_dailynotes