10 Ways to Practice Self-Love

Write yourself a love letter - Include all of the amazing qualities you possess, the strength you have gained from the experiences you have had, how far you have come, what you plan to do from this day forward to practice self love, and why you, yes YOU, are so deserving of it

Stop comparing yourself to others - We've all heard it...comparison is the thief of all joy. But guys!  It is so true!  Please remember that we all have our own unique qualities and our personal journeys to travel. Let go of who you think you are supposed to be and embrace and own who you are.  

Recognize your triggers - We all have them.  Acknowledge and identify what they are and do your best to avoid them at all costs. If you can't avoid them, learn positive ways to defuse them.  

Love yourself exactly as you are, right now - The key words are "right now".  We tend to have the mindset that we will love ourselves more if we just lost a little weight, if we had a better paying, more fulfilling job, if we could just change this or that, and the list goes on.  The truth is, if you can't love yourself just the way you are right now, these things are not going to be the magical tool to help you do so.  

Learn to say no - There is freedom in the word no! If it doesn't feel right, if you aren't passionate about, if you really don't want to do it, remember that you have the power to say no.

Do the things that light your soul on fire - This might be spending time with your family or friends, taking a long walk, painting, listening to music, dancing, going for a mani/pedi to pamper yourself...we all have different things that light our souls.  Take time to do something for yourself, whether that be every day, once a week or once a month. Put it on your schedule and make it a priority. 

Start a gratitude journal - Every day when you wake up, write down 5 things you are grateful for.  When you start looking for the blessings in your life, it changes your mindset.  And there are so many blessings and things to be grateful for.

Limit your time on social media - This correlates with item #2. What people show you on their social media is their highlight reel. Their life may seem perfect on your feed, but I can assure you it isn't. Plus there is a fair share of negativity on those sites also. 

Take the focus off of yourself - This may seem an odd statement for self love.  But when we take the focus off of ourselves and help others through volunteering, mentoring, helping each other out and encouraging others, the love that we have for ourselves spills out onto them.  And that is a beautiful thing.

Give yourself grace- The truth is, your life is not going to be perfect, and it's OK.  But give yourself grace when things don't go as planned, or when you "mess up".  Chalk them up as learning experiences and allow them to let you grow.