10 Self-Love Practices You Should Be Doing Now

During the hustle and bustle of our daily lives—taking care of the kids, the pets and the ever-growing piles of work and chores—it can be nearly impossible to stop and give yourself some snaps. Instead, even if we’re totally killing it from everyone else’s perspective, we tend to harbor on the negative, holding on to criticisms, failures and losses from the past.

It’s so important to weave in small gestures of self-love throughout the day so that you can counteract the negative thinking and get yourself into a state of positive thought and self-love. The following list includes simple daily practices to implement in your life to help remind you that you’re a strong, beautiful and amazing person, crushing everything you do!

Repeating Self-Loving Mantras—

While it may seem a tad odd, whispering positive affirmations to yourself is a great way to prevent yourself from slipping down the slope of self-sabotage and self-criticism. And there’s a scientific reason for that—words and sounds can greatly affect our feelings and mood. Some perfect self-love mantras include:

• • I will love myself.
  • I am enough.
  • I am worthy of love.
  • I am confident.
  • I can make the right decisions.
  • I am beautiful.
  • I have great ideas.
  • I believe in myself.
  • I can do it.

Giving Yourself Compliments—

You know how you’re always complimenting your friends and co-workers about what they’re wearing and how they handle tough situations? Try doing the same for yourself! We know it sounds silly, but try to get in the mindset of treating yourself like you would treat a close friend. Give yourself space to make mistakes and pat yourself on the back more often.

Spoiling Yourself a Little—

A little retail therapy never hurt anyone, especially if you’re investing in items that boost your self-esteem, like a cute accessory. One of the best ways to show yourself some self-love is to invest in items that you wouldn’t normally (assuming it won’t put you in a bad financial situation, of course). Yes, you do deserve that new purse and that matcha latte!

Leaving Yourself Little Love Notes—

We all need positive affirmation, even when we don’t realize it. Leaving yourself little love notes or words of encouragement can help you remember that you’ve got whatever’s on your plate. Tailor them to the challenges you’re currently facing in life and stick them where you know you’ll see them—on your computer, steering wheel or mirror.

Taking Yourself on a Date—

Even if a date is ordering takeout and binge-watching your favorite show, spend some quality time with yourself on occasion. Going out and doing things alone, such as having a nice dinner or seeing a concert, is a great way to build confidence and self-assurance, too. Sure, it takes practice, but it’s a simple thing you can do to show yourself your strengths. Before long, you’ll have a standing date with yourself every Friday night.

Wearing Body-Positive Clothing—

When you’re conscious of it, try to wear body-positive clothing and to prioritize brands with similar values as you. Supporting companies that are inclusive,body-positive and big on self-love not only helps you feel better about yourself on a day-to-day basis, but also helps contribute to the greater cultural goal of smashing unrealistic expectations. Body-positive brands are those that include all body types in their products and ads and those that stand up against typical marketing techniques like air-brushing away “flaws” on models.

Celebrating Little Wins—

How often do you meet and exceed daily goals? We’re willing to bet that you don’t write down 99 percent of them, but you achieve them anyway. Even the teeny-tiny goals—think: getting all your laundry put away or cooking dinner at home—are worthy of praise. And don’t forget to give yourself some slack if you don’t meet every single goal you set on a given day!

Spending Time with Friends—

The great thing about socializing is that, even though it feels sort of indulgent, it’s really good for you! In fact, spending time with friends is proven to help boost self-esteem. So, go ahead and plan all sorts of coffee dates, brunches, happy hours and movie nights in with your best friends. Just remember to prioritize spending time with people who like to build you up and help contribute to your positive self-image.

Meditating Every Day—

Meditation is often touted as a cure-all in modern society, but there’s a good reason for it. Studies show that practicing mindfulness and meditation can lead to happiness, focus and inner calm. Harvard researchers even believe that mindfulness meditation may bring benefits in the treatment of depression, anxiety and chronic pain. There’s no greater act of self-love!

Singing, Dancing and Creating without Inhibition—

Don’t let feeling self-conscious hold you back from any form of self-expression, whether you’re scared off by the stark reality of a blank page, a full auditorium or a rusty voice. Everybody can sing, dance and make art. There is no exception to this rule.

Self-Love – The Joys of Loving Yourself

Why does self-love matter so much, anyway? Because feeling good about yourself is a human right, and one that just so happens to lead to a lot of good things—happiness, success, inner peace and security. The good news is that it doesn’t take any drastic changes to get yourself into a positive state of self-love. A few small daily changes will help you get there in a big way.