Previously I shared a little bit about my struggle with loving myself for Self-Love Month if you haven’t yet read that post CLICK HERE to read it! Today I’m going to share some ways that I have found help me when I am struggling.
1. Surround yourself with people who truly respect you!
How can you respect yourself when the people you pour your time and energy into don’t? Respecting yourself is key. If you don’t respect yourself you won’t be able to apply the next few tips that I have for you. If you don’t respect yourself it is so easy to become lazy and not put any effort into how you look which in turn will cause you to fall deeper into this rut.
2. Make time for yourself!!!!!
This one is a biggy!! Being a mom it is so easy for my day to be consumed with making time for work, my husband, and my son that most the time I don’t even make it on that list. Those days that I don’t put myself on the list or schedule some time without my son to just get through on episode of the latest show I’m attempting to binge watch are the days that I feel like I am going to go crazy. Take a bath, watch some TV, read a book, make it a point to do something that YOU want to do throughout the day!
3. Tell yourself what you want to hear!
If you can’t believe yourself when you say it then you won’t be able to find the truth in it when others do. Begin telling yourself what it is you want to hear. If it helps even look in the mirror and tell it to your reflection! Begin displacing the negative thoughts in your head with positive ones!
4. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive!!!!
It is so hard to go through life loving yourself and others when you are holding onto a time when someone wronged you. In the end we need to forgive people. It doesn’t matter what they did to hurt us so bad we NEED to forgive them in oder to move on. The anger and hatred may feel good at the time but after so long we begin to feel that same anger and hatred not only towards the person who wronged us but toward ourselves. After so long of feeling certain ways toward people our brain redirects those feelings to ourselves.
5. Begin making changes at home that you need to make!
Eat better, declutter, clean, hang some pretty wall art. Whatever it is that you need to do to make your home life less chaotic do it! One thing that ALWAYS makes a house feel less chaotic to me is WALL ART!!!! If you are the same way, find some inspirational pieces so that when you see them a smile is brought to your face.
6. SMILE!
I want to leave you with this. SMILE MORE. A simple smile can brighten anyone’s day, even your own. It’s hard to hate something while you are smiling! Make it a point to smile even when you don’t want to. You may be tired as a mother, because let’s face it us mom’s get exhausted, but a smile can make it all better!
In my experience these steps have made things and life so much easier. Day by day I get closer to the ultimate goal of loving who I am. Today, I urge you choose love not hate, and share this with a friend or family member who may need to read this. In the comments below let me know one way that helps you love yourself.
