We are often our own worst critics. How many times has your internal monologue led you down a path of self-doubt – or even despair? None of us is happy all the time. We must allow ourselves to acknowledge that some days just suck. But it doesn’t mean that we suck.
Self-care is how we care for our mental, emotional and physical health. Practicing self-care is an action-oriented way that we show ourselves self-love. It means loving all aspects of ourselves by accepting our flaws, our weaknesses and the things you don’t always like about ourselves. It is also about holding high standards for your own well-being and happiness.
Be proud of who you are and where you came from. Strut your stuff, knowing that you may not be what some define as perfect. Trust in yourself and dance to the beat of your own drum. And don’t be ashamed to show off your curves and imperfections. It’s what makes you YOU!
Here are six simple things you can do every day to practice self-love:
Treat Yourself to Risqué
Women everywhere are proudly claiming the right to feel sexy and stunning in their own skin. At Risqué, we cheer for every woman to have the confidence to flaunt it, whether walking into a high school reunion, into the club, at the beach, or down the aisle. That’s being kind to yourself! Try a bundle to get 20 percent off any three products.
Stop Comparing Yourself
Comparison is a killer to self-love. And we typically don’t possess a lot of self-compassion when it comes to comparisons, right? Instead, we exaggerate our greatest flaws and compare them to someone else’s greatest success. That is a recipe for hopelessness. Remember: YOU are the author of your own story. You can’t compare your life to someone else’s because no matter how well you know them, you never know how they feel or how they perceive their life. Spend your time and energy to nourish and build your path.
Surround Yourself with People Who Make You Smile
Get rid of the Negative Nellies in your life. Seriously. Have you heard the old adage “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”? It’s true. It’s time to increase your odds of happiness by hanging out with people who don’t bring you down. Does your social network inspire you? Fill you with joy? Have your best interests in mind? If not, dump them and move on. Be picky about who you spend time with. It will automatically make you feel better about yourself.
Commit to Making Healthy Habits
Take gradual steps to improve your daily routine. Don’t be rigid but figure out how to incorporate healthier choices. Instead of sleeping in, try getting up earlier and meditating. Eat a healthy breakfast. Exercise more. Don’t shame yourself if you’re not perfect; life is too short. By slowly adding healthier habits to your lifestyle, you will eventually feel better about the choices you make – and it becomes a self-fulfilling cycle of goodness.
Keep Negative Thoughts from Dominating Your Mind
Self-talk is normally something that we do unconsciously and it is often indicative of our subconscious thoughts and feelings. Often, self-talk can be negative – even toxic – leading to feelings of self-doubt, self-judgement and even self-loathing. If you find that your self-talk narrative is overwhelmingly negative, try changing the conversation with yourself. Try positive affirmations. What are things you like about yourself? What are you proud of? Reminding yourself of these things on a daily basis (maybe as a part of your morning routine as you brush your teeth, for example) can put you in a more positive frame of mind that will organically encourage positive self-talk.
Help Others
It sounds like an oxymoron, but self-care almost always improves when you care for others. Volunteer for something that fuels your passion. Or donate to a worthy cause. At Risqué, we have rallied around the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.® to raise awareness of a disease that will be diagnosed in one in eight women worldwide this year. The good news is that there are 3.8 million women who have survived breast cancer today, thanks to research we support. Helping find a cure for breast cancer inspires us. It may inspire you, too.
When you learn to love yourself and practice self-love, you develop a better relationship with yourself – and with other people. Self-love won’t happen overnight, but you are bound to get better at it with patience, humility and well, love!