Learning to Love Ourselves

In celebration of love, after Valentine’s Day a few days ago, we thought it’d be a nice refresher to keep that focus on love, but turn the focus towards ourselves. Sure, we’ve seen diet tips, and tips to stay fit and healthy, but what about our wellness minus the diet?

We’re not talking about exercising everyday and making sure you down those eight glasses of water, even though those are important as well! We’re talking about our state of mind and our mental wellness overall.

Wintertime not only wreaks havoc on our skin and hair, but it’s not always the best time for our mood. It’s cold, it’s dreary and there’s a major lack of Vitamin D in the air…literally.

Here’s a few tips that, hopefully, will help us love ourselves as best as we can, and maybe make winter time a little less harsh.

Look in the mirror

Do you ever look in the mirror in the morning and think “Oh no, how can I go out in public looking like this?” You’re not alone if you do! Here’s a challenge. Every morning, or every night (let’s face it most of us don’t even have time to wash our hair in the morning) pick out one thing that you like about yourself that day. It can be something as simple as liking your outfit that day, as long as it’s positive. Here’s the thing. If we don’t speak positively to ourselves then we won’t become accustomed to being positive towards ourselves. Instead, we’ll become accustomed to that person in the mirror who doesn’t think they can go out in public that day. Let’s change that! Positivity is key.

Treat yourself once a week

Treating yourself is extremely important. Hard work and dedication deserves rewards! Now, this is no excuse to eat a gallon of ice cream a day, unfortunately. Start with treating yourself small. Had a busy work week? Treat yourself to a bubble bath when you get home Friday night. If we get used to rewarding ourselves for our hard work, we’ll be more willing to do that hard work again, looking forward to our own reward in the end.

Unplug

Social media is a great tool. But, studies have shown that too much time on social media can misconstrue our thought process and how we perceive our daily lives, resulting in feelings of loneliness, jealousy and even FOMO (fear of missing out). Try taking time off of social media at important times. Don’t bring your laptop into bed with you, or leave your phone in your room around dinnertime. Plus, too much exposure to the blue LED light on electronics like your computer and phone can stop pineal glands from producing your body’s natural melatonin, resulting in less sleep.

Express yourself

Expressing ourselves is something we do everyday, but we often let it go unnoticed. Try expressing yourself every single day. Wear that quirky outfit, paint a picture or read a chapter or two in your favorite book. Expressing ourselves is important in order to have fun, and not forget who we are.

Make daily goals

Write down a daily goal to accomplish. We’re not talking about that marathon you’re training for next year, or the holiday meal you want to prepare in a few months. We’re talking simple, daily goals. Been yawning all day despite the 4 cups of coffee and bottle of Diet Coke you had on your lunch break? Make a goal to get to bed earlier that night. When you do, you’ll praise yourself for reaching that goal, well, if you can stay awake long enough to!

Sure, these are small steps. If we start with these five steps, just imagine what we can do in a month’s time! Let’s do it. Let’s start loving ourselves.