10 Ways To Intentionally Practice Self-Love Daily In Your Life

Jun 07, 2018

Self-love and compassion are critical to your well being and mental health, and it goes a long way to ward off anxiety and depression. You must believe that you deserve it and that you will achieve it with intention. Following are 10 ways to nurture and practice this core feeling. 

This tactic will give you a continual reminder of self-love. You may write notes like “I am unique, I deserve good, I am beautiful”, and place these notes in a handbag or pocket and read them when you are on the go or place them on a mirror from where you can read and recite them. Continually reciting your worth in this way will reinforce it in your mindset. 

Disconnect from those on social media who are toxic by unfollowing or unfriending them. If you need to center yourself and achieve peace of mind, seeing repetitive photos and posts from your friends that are not important to your goals could be unsettling. 

Be aware of moments when you may be tempted to compare yourself with others, speak to yourself and say “Stop it, I am enough.” You must intentionally talk yourself out of such comparisons and realize that it is a nasty habit. It may take a little while for you to stop the habit, but constant practice will pay off eventually. 

Give yourself sufficient time to unwind, rest, relax and recharge when you become irritable, hungry or tired. Realize the restorative power of sleep and take care of your needs.

You may use these moments to be inner-directed and thoughtful about yourself, your life and to mentally center yourself. To help in this process you may read self-help books such as Jen Sincero’s “You Are a Badass” or Matt Haig’s “Reasons to Stay Alive. ”. These books will help you fight negative thoughts about yourself that are not helpful and are untrue. They will help you get out of your own head. 

If you suffer from depression, you may not like dealing with the condition, but accepting that it is a part of your life, will allow you to stop resisting the medications you need to take, and the therapy sessions you have to attend. You will begin to realize that you must intentionally do what you must to maintain your mental health. Despite the fact that certain stigmas are attached to some illnesses, identifying them with bad names helps define you by them. 

Be gracious and accept and believe in the compliments you are given. It is not a conceited or self-centered thing to do, as feeling loved, accepted and appreciated are feelings we all need. 

This does not mean that you should suddenly become religious, but you will need spiritual guidance from a source outside of yourself. Speak to God or an advisor for life answers, guidance, and strength to sustain yourself as you cannot do it alone. 

If for example to write because you majored in writing and you love the craft, realize that what you have to express may help other people. People experience many things in their lives and may enjoy your writings on touchy or taboo topics, the experiences of a late bloomer, suicide, and other realities people live through that may have made them feel alone. You may utilize your talent to fulfill your purpose in life but also look for ways to contribute to the lives of others. 

If you intentionally practice these ways to achieve self-love you will soon find yourself believing in yourself and you will no longer reproach yourself for mistakes you made in the past, or for any other reason. Self-love will be yours but it all begins with intention. 

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