Have you ever noticed that you can love so easily, freely, and deeply for other people however when it comes to loving yourself it can seem impossible, or a much harder process? Self-love is really important. It’s about taking care of yourself first so that you have the energy to care for others. About knowing your worth and respecting yourself, and learning to appreciate the beauty that you have, inside and out. We are with our own thoughts 24/7 and what we tell ourselves can have a huge impact on our lives. The next time you speak or think negatively about yourself think how you would feel if someone was saying this to one of your closest friends, then reframe your thoughts in way in which you would talk to your friends.

Self-love and self-care go hand in hand. Looking after you should be a necessity and not a luxury or a chore. Looking after yourself makes you feel better from within and changes your mindset. If you feel good inside then you feel much better about your outer shell, your appearance. When your frame of mind starts to brighten you start making healthier decisions, for example more conscious food choices. More importantly, when you start loving yourself, you start to respect yourself too, you stop letting people take advantage of you or putting yourself into situations that you don’t enjoy. This has a huge effect of your mental health and wellbeing. When you start to shine from within you also attract like-minded people you help keep your flame shining brightly.

Here are a few things you can do to start feeling better from within yourself:

Daily Gratitude. Start each morning, for example whilst you are getting ready, to list 5 things you are thankful for. They don’t have to be extravagant and they can be as simple as ‘I am grateful for the sun shining’. These will help you focus on all the good in your life right now. Even if you are at rock bottom, there will always be a glimmer in your life that you can hold on to, and remind yourself of.

Meditation. There are many self-love guided meditations available on apps such as Spotify, and online. However just a quick 5 minute meditation where you focus on your breath will help to calm the clatter inside your head, and start to ease any built up tensions. You can do this whilst you’re enjoying your morning coffee or before you go to sleep at night.

Saying no. If you feel you are always doing things for other people that you are not completely happy with you will be draining yourself of your energy. Learn to say no when things aren’t fully aligned with your energies.

Self-care routine. Looking after yourself helps you feel better about yourself. This could be applying a daily moisturiser, doing a weekly facemask, or having a weekly bath and using all those fancy products you keep for special occasions.

Exercise. Some people thrive when they go to the gym, and some people hate it. Exercise doesn’t always mean you have to go to the gym. It could be a walk in the park, taking the dog for a walk, online classes such as yoga, or pilates, a dance class, or a bike ride. Anything that gets your heart racing a litter faster than normal, this is when you get those natural endorphins that make you happy and feel so good about what you have achieved.

Doing the things you love. Are there activities you absolutely love to do but you just don’t feel like you have the time to do them? Do you also find yourself sat scrolling Netflix in the evening or social media? This is that small nugget of time where you could start reading your favourite books, taking that art class you’ve always wanted to do, or start learning to crochet. Whatever it is you enjoy doing, fill that void of time with it. The more you do the things you enjoy the more you feel like you again and start glowing from within.

Daily affirmations. These can be done inside your head or out aloud. They can be done whilst you are brushing your teeth so that you are saying them daily.

I am enough. Just the way I am. Deserving of love and respect.

Love surrounds me. It is all around me.

I accept myself for who I am.

I am comfortable in my own skin.

I believe in myself.

Every day I become a better version of myself.

It is ok to say no.

I am beautiful inside and out.

Journaling. Writing all the things you love about yourself inside your journal helps to highlight and focus on the positives. These can be written as often as you feel you need to, or written as a list to remind you.

Sleep. When we are tired our minds are more easily attuned to negativity and negative thought cycles. Making sure you get at least 8 hours rest each night will help you start the day off in a much more positive frame of mind.