If you consider yourself a compassionate person — remember that to truly call yourself compassionate, you have to show compassion to yourself as well as others. Appreciating oneself can grow from actions that support our physical, psychological and spiritual growth.
As we act in kindness to ourselves, we may be able to better accept our weaknesses as well as our strengths, have compassion for ourselves as human beings struggling to find personal meaning, are more centered in our life purpose, priorities, and passions, and to get rid of the junk that gets in the way of living our best lives.
Self love is a part of this: it influences how high you set your goals, how you let others treat you, and how you react to difficult situations. Self-love affects how you treat your body, how you manage stress, and your ability to live consistently with your values.
Here are some small simple things you can do to practice self-love.
Emotional wellness
Emotional wellness is the ability to cope with life’s challenges. The ability to acknowledge and share feelings of anger, fear, sadness or stress, hope, love, joy and happiness in a productive manner
- If you you don’t feel happy with your life, and write down 5 simple actions you can take right now to help take you in a better direction i.e go for a walk, phone someone and say you’re sorry, throw out a pack of cigarettes and commit to not buying any more.
- Seek the help you need — set up an appointment for counselling, a massage, a meditation class, a quiet retreat if you’re struggling emotionally. or try them all and see what helps you most.
- Write down your schedule for the day. This will help you set aside time each day to spend time on your priorities and minimize wasted time.
- Set boundaries on how you’ll spend your time. Steer clear of time-sucking activities that don’t add meaning to your life. No instagram after 6pm? you’re not missing anything!
- Say no to toxic people and activities. Be kind but firm, your time is precious.
Spiritual wellness
Help yourself establish peace and harmony in life
- Spend 10 minutes in meditation today.
- Get outside in nature.
- Do something altruistic. And explore how you can make altruism a regular activity; weekly volunteering? monthly event?
Social wellness
Connecting with others and developing positive relationships.
- Connect today with someone who is positive, inspiring, and encouraging. This doesn’t have to challenging perhaps send a text/letter/flowers to someone who has supported or taught you in the past.
- Send a note in the post to a family member or friend. Perhaps a funny postcard or cute card.
- Plan an event with your friends. A film night and a pot luck dinner is cheap and relaxing way to bring your friends together!
- Kiss someone you love.
Occupational wellness
Finding fulfillment from your work is very important, we spend so much time doing it!
- Learn about your strengths — take on new projects or new approaches
- Write down your big career goals.
- Take regular small steps toward your dream career — take courses, keep your CV updated, talk to peers.
- Connect with a coworker.
Intellectual wellness
Embrace the joy of learning and discovering new things every day!
- Read a paper/article/chapter on a topic that interests you today.
- Book an adventure to a new place, or walk to one! even a new park or coffee shop is a good start.
- Sign up for a new class — near your home or online. You can learn everything from flower arranging to salsa dancing, massage to mahjong!
Physical wellness
- Appreciate the amazing things your body can do rather than focusing on what you consider to be your “flaws.”
- Head to your local green grocers and ask what is in season or what they would recommend, use this new produce in a healthy recipe!
- Focus on nourishing your body, not starving or punishing it.
- Establish a nighttime routine for a healthy dose of sleep.
These small actions are all little suggesting for accepting and appreciating yourself more, feel free to come up with your own and enjoy the journey! as you come to love yourself and love life, it can cause amazing effects in your world!
Originally published at journal.thriveglobal.com