What self love means
Although the self love movement has gained a lot of traction on social media platforms recently, learning to love oneself isn’t a new concept. In fact, it goes back to the 1950s, has tight ties to modern feminism, and has been used as a tool during the Black Power movement of the 70s as well as Pride all around the world today.
Self-love can mean something different for everyone because we all have many different ways of taking care of ourselves. But in general, it’s closely linked to self-esteem. It means accepting yourself as you are for everything that you are, accepting your emotions for what they are and putting your physical, emotional and mental well-being first.
What are types of self love?
There are many different ways to practice self love: affirmations, learning to care for your body and mind, and getting enough sleep can all help your self love routine. These are our favourite ways to practice self love
Affirmations
Words hold power. Affirmations are powerful, positive statements that aim to direct your conscious and subconscious mind, challenging unhealthy and negative thinking patterns. When spoken with conviction, affirmations can change how you think, how you feel, and can even change your beliefs or behaviour. When used intentionally to create change, they can help project you into your achievements. Repeating affirmations in the mirror can be a powerful way to boost your confidence. There are many different types of affirmations but we’ve written down our favourite self love affirmations to get you started.
A confidence boost
Self-confidence is something that can always be easily spotted in others and is something that many strive to achieve. Having a healthy level of self-confidence can go a long way to helping you feel content as well as help you to succeed in both your professional and personal life. It can also motivate you to take risks and pursue your goals no matter how ‘out there’ they may seem.
But a lack of confidence can make us timid and scared to take the steps we need to make us happy and feel fulfilled. Check out our favourite ways to boost your confidence for the perfect pick-me-up.
Mood boosting treats
Taking care of our bodies goes a long way to helping us feel good about ourselves so the food we eat can play a big part in a positive mindset. Some foods may just make you happy because they’re delicious while others can help us feel more positive thanks to their feel-good vitamins and minerals. Learn about some of the best mood-boosting foods to help the future feel brighter!
Get enough sleep
Getting enough sleep is essential to feeling our best and can go a long way towards our self love. The quality of sleep matters too, so if you’re the type to force yourself to stay up late (also known as revenge bedtime procrastination) or you struggle to fall asleep when you get into bed, learning some healthy hygiene habits can help.
