6 Easy Ways To Practice Self-Love

“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”– Lucille Ball

Every day, I’m constantly trying to come up with ways to make myself better — and in the process, I sometimes work myself to the bone. I spend so much time picking out perfectly curated outfits, completing chores, and trying to keep myself up to date on the latest news and pop culture crazes that I completely forget about myself.

Self-betterment is always a great goal and it’s something that has to be continuously pursued. However, if you only focus on “betterment” and forget about the “self”, the process is completely ruined. So today, I’m going against my usual grain and exploring ways to better myself by focusing on just the “self” part. My self-worth. My self-happiness. My self-joy.

Below, I’ve compiled a list of things that I chose to do today, and a couple things that I will start doing every day, in order to focus on really making myself happy. These things were super easy to do and they’re universal — so try them out yourself and feel the love too.

1.)Eat your favorite unhealthy (?) food. I added a question mark behind “unhealthy” because: Is a food really unhealthy if it nourishes your soul? Of course, I’m not saying you should eat nothing but chocolate every day, but indulging  in Oreos dipped in frosting once or twice a month won’t kill you. It will, however, put a very big smile on your face. Nothing is healthier than a smile.

2.)Wear your “staying in” clothes out. I tend to put a huge emphasis on what I wear every day because I love fashion more than anything in this world. But pain is beauty and beauty is a pain. I know in my heart that, some days, I don’t feel like wearing pantyhose or poking myself in the eye with a mascara brush. Some days, it just feels good to go to class in your yoga pants. And that’s okay! Nobody is going to judge you.

3.)Watch your favorite trashy TV show. Sure, maybe it’s embarrassing that you like watching “The Bachelor” or “Cupcake Wars”, but why deny yourself that joy? If you like watching it, watch it proudly. And if you really want to feel the love, go online and find forum communities of other people who like the same crappy shows that you like. Once you have people to talk about it with, you’ll probably stop hating yourself for liking something silly. It will become a quirk that you appreciate instead.

4.)Think of things you already have that you are grateful for. Every morning or every night, come up with five things you’re grateful for. This is a great exercise because reminding yourself of the things that make you happy will allow you to view yourself more positively. For example, we don’t always think about how grateful we are to have a romantic partner or a really great best friend. Reminding yourself of how happy they makes you will help you feel more fulfilled and content with your life as it is.

5.) Make a wall of compliments. I got this idea from a friend of mine, and I thought it was a really cool concept for self-love! Basically, pick a wall in your bedroom and make a little poster that you can write on (I used colorful construction paper). Then, every time someone gives you a compliment, you put it up on the wall. Over time, the poster will become filled with nice things that other people have said about you. Then, whenever you’re experiencing self-doubt, you can look at the wall for affirmation. Personally, I also like to attribute my compliments to whoever said them because it can also teach you a lot about your personal relationships. Perhaps you’ll notice that your closest friend never compliments you but your favorite coworker does. Seeing these types of patterns will allow you to figure out which relationships in your life are filled with love and mutual support and which ones are more competitive or even toxic.

6.)Give your body some self-love treats. Indulging in tasty food is great for the soul, but you should also balance that out by giving some more direct love to your physical body too. Some treats I give my body include: glasses of fruit-infused water that keep me hydrated,  short cardio workouts to get my blood pumping and release endorphins, deep/restorative breath sessions for peace of mind, and the occasional dry brushing session (for those who don’t know, dry brushing is basically working a soft hair brush over your skin to remove dead cells and stimulate your senses).