“A healthy self-love means we have no compulsion to justify to ourselves or others why we take vacations, why we sleep late, why we buy new shoes, why we spoil ourselves from time to time. We feel comfortable doing things which add quality and beauty to life.”
- Andrew Matthews
Many of us tend to put other's needs before our own. We neglect ourselves and eventually resent those who have been on the receiving end of our love and attention. What we fail to realize is the importance of putting ourselves first.
It's not selfish to put yourself first often! In fact, it's impossible to meet the needs of others effectively without first being balanced in our own lives. Loving yourself will not only prove to be a positive experience, but it will improve your relationships with others as well.
“Fill your cup because you can’t pour from an empty cup.” - Anon
If we go through our days neglecting our basic needs, we will become very quickly drained of our energy, too exhausted to spend any time on ourselves.
When we realize that our own needs are not being met, we become resentful and ultimately withdraw the help and support we so freely offered to others before. However, by focusing on putting ourselves first, we can regain that lost energy, which will give us endless vitality to direct toward others.
Loving and taking better care of yourself is easy if you implement one or more of the simple helpful tips and ideas listed here. When we are happy with the level of attention we are giving ourselves, our energy overflows and we are happy to help fulfil the needs of those around us.
Everyone wins when we learn to love ourselves. Use the following tips to get you started:
Look After Your Health
Care for your body by adopting some healthy lifestyle habits. How can we expect to accomplish great things if we cannot meet life's most basic needs? Eat healthily by replacing excess sugar and refined foods with whole foods and lots of water. Give your body the ability to effectively burn the fuel you take in by getting daily exercise, thereby increasing your metabolism. Make sure to get plenty of sleep as well, as our minds do not fully function if they haven't been allowed to properly recharge themselves.
Express Yourself
One of the best ways to take care of ourselves mentally is by frequently expressing how we feel. This can be done in several ways. Mentally, we can express ourselves on paper. Keeping a personal journal in which you can vent when needed, will help keep emotions in check. Creative expression is important too, such as allowing yourself to feel and experience the wide range of emotions whilst absorbed in a book or movie, or by working on a hobby that's close to your heart. Photography and other visual arts are good for this. Remember, expressing ourselves creatively is as important as doing so mentally. Creativity definitely has a positive impact on our mental health.
Spend Some Time Alone
In order to appreciate ourselves more, we should get to know ourselves better. Some of you may think this will have the reverse effect, but actually it's really healthy for us to spend some time alone! You would be surprised what becoming introspective will reveal. Discover yourself and learn to love it. Go for a scenic drive. Take a long bath. Surround yourself with music or just quietly meditate. Not only will you appreciate your own company more, but the relaxation will do wonders for your state of mind. Your relationships are sure to improve if others sense your renewed energy and love of life.
Learn To Say No
Saying no to stuff that we don't want to do or really don't have time for, is a skill that many of us find difficult! It's all about creating some healthy boundaries around your time and your needs and sticking to them. It takes practice to set and maintain boundaries in this way, but it's so worth it. Healthy boundaries are definitely a form of self-love and self-care.
Pamper Yourself
Finally, take the time to treat yourself to something rewarding. Get a massage, a manicure, or tickets to your favourite sporting event or the theatre. Do something you enjoy! Show yourself you care about your own happiness by creating more of it in your life. By allowing yourself to enjoy the spotlight now and again, you'll realize the goodness others feel when you are able to help them.
If you want to learn some more effective take-home tools and methods for self-love and care, we teach these on our wonderful MindPlus Retreats! You can also enjoy holistic treatments, yoga, powerful hypnotherapy and meditations, plus delicious food and luxury accommodation!
These are small and exclusive with 7 people only so there is limited availability! Book your MindPlus experience soon to avoid disappointment!!