7 Ways to Start Practicing Self-Love Right Now
You’ve surely heard it before, but the most important relationship you have in your life is the one you have with yourself. There’s a lot of talk about “self-love” these days, but what exactly should it look like? We have the tendency to love ourselves conditionally, rewarding ourselves with positive feelings or even material things when we are content with something we’ve done and judging ourselves harshly when we’ve fallen short of our expectations. The journey to self-love is a challenge, and like any challenge, it requires patience, practice, and devotion. However, the benefits are plentiful — a healthier mindset, greater personal growth, stronger motivation, and an overall higher level of satisfaction with your life.
Here are some ideas to help you begin practicing self-love right away. If you dedicate yourself to routinely practicing, it will pay off ten-fold.
Make a vision board.
Vision boards are a concrete way of visualizing your goals. The idea is to gather inspiration from magazine clippings, photos, and even small objects and put them on a board that you hang somewhere you’ll see every day. The daily repetition of seeing your goals can trigger a more positive mindset, but they are most effective when you also visualize the hard work you’ll do to achieve them. Simply making a vision board and passively waiting for great things to happen to you is not how this works. You must put in the time and effort to achieve the things you want, and creating a vision board is a tool that can add clarity to the process.
Learn about your personality type.
Understanding your personality type can help you have more compassion for yourself and lift the veil on why you might do the things you do. For example, if you are an introvert but force yourself into the mold of the “extrovert ideal,” you could feel frustrated with yourself for feeling your internal introverted tendencies instead of celebrating them. The more you learn about who you are, the easier it is to appreciate what makes you different.
Move your body.
One of the cornerstones of self-love is exercise. It improves your mood and health and fosters an appreciation for your body and its amazing capabilities. If you’re just beginning your yoga journey, we recommend our Yoga for Beginners series, which guides you through all of the steps needed to build a strong foundation for your practice.
Write yourself a love letter.
We write sweet notes of thanks and appreciation to our loved ones, but why not ourselves? If the idea of a letter isn’t your thing, write out a list of positive qualities you have or achievements that you are most proud of. Revisit it often and reflect on the parts of you that you love the most.
Connect with nature.
Getting out into nature is one of the quickest and easiest ways to clear away negative energy and begin feeling better almost immediately. You don’t have to find a mountain to climb either — start by taking your lunch outside to a park, going out for a walk on a local trail, or even heading out to watch the sunset each evening. Soon, you’ll be craving the fresh air and can move on to weekend hikes and camping trips.
Take a minute to meditate.
Meditation is a powerful ritual that can reduce stress and anxiety, promote better sleep and emotional health, and enhance self-awareness - which ultimately translates to better-equipping yourself for self-love. We have some incredible mindfulness meditation classes that are perfect for those who are just beginning. Try Mindful Morning, which shifts your focus to a more positive and kind frame of mind, or try Rise and Shine, a morning meditation that will help you start your day feeling centered and energized.
Check your inner voice.
The person we talk to the most is ourselves, so are you being kind? A positive, forgiving, and empowering inner dialogue is crucial for supporting our journey to self-love. When you feel negative thoughts start to creep in, make the switch to something more positive. Focus on what you’ll do differently next time instead of what you did wrong. Start your day off with a positive affirmation and repeat it to yourself throughout the day as needed.
Show yourself some kindness and care with our Self-Love playlist on Alo Moves — meditations and yoga sequences focused on channeling love, gratitude, and compassion. Start your free 14-day trial here.