6 Easy Ways You Can Practice Self Love

With 4 in 5 women suffering from low self-esteem, and men being not far behind, it can be hard to figure out how to get out of your rut. Even if you get out of a rut, without a method for staying out, you’re bound to be worrying about when you’ll end up stuck back in the rut again. Practicing self love needs to be a regular affair with clear goals and a set amount of time devoted to it.

If you’re struggling with finding ways to love yourself, here are 6 ways you can stop and take the time to show yourself the TLC that you need to thrive.

1. Set A Reminder

If you’re not already practicing a solid regiment of self love, it’s probably because you haven’t had the time or the energy for it. By the end of the day, you could be so exhausted by all of your responsibilities that you overlook your star player–you.

Pull out your planner and start marking up a couple of days and times every week where you want to remind yourself to love yourself. You might have to set a daily alarm for it. Do whatever it takes.

Before your first alarm goes off, be prepared for how you want to focus on yourself.

Even if you’re only offering yourself 15 to 20 minutes, make a list of things you can do during that period. Put the list on the refrigerator. Whenever the alarm goes off, walk to the refrigerator for a glass of water, take a look at the list, and do whatever seems most appealing.

2. Connect With Nature

One of the best ways to show yourself some love is to connect to the world around you. Even if you live in a city, there’s likely a big park or a great place to hike. Take some time to get away for an afternoon.

This is one of those times when self love doesn’t have to be done alone. Call up a friend who you know loves to hike and see what they want to recommend. There’s sure to be a great spot that they know a little better than you.

If you’re in the position of being the hiking fanatic, you could be the one to show them around. It feels good to introduce a friend or a loved one to something new. Show them one of your favorite spots in the area and you’ll be able to extend the self love to someone who you care about.

3. Take Up Running or Biking

Running and biking are great ways to spend some time alone with your thoughts. Running is a fun way to get out of the house and see the area you live in in a new way. Even if you have to drive out to a track to run, you’ll be able to zone out and dive into your thoughts.

During this time, make sure you begin with positive thoughts about yourself and where you’re headed. You’ll be making your body feel good while you expend some pent-up energy.

If you decide to bike, make sure you wear reflective gear and bike in a low-stress area. Biking through Manhattan is more of an act of self-torture than self love. You’ll be struggling to think about anything but surviving as you dodge between cabs.

4. Change Your Diet

Changing your diet can be one of the easiest ways to start up a self love regiment. If you’re feeling down, you might end up eating a lot of junk. Practicing self love can be as simple as knocking out some of the junk in your diet and replacing it with fresh fruits and vegetables.

When it comes to things like apples, carrots, and leafy greens, there’s no way to overeat them. You can eat as many as you like and you’ll only be doing good for your waistline.

Stay away from too many fatty oils and cheeses. Avoid juices, as they lack the essential fibers to break down the sugars that fruits and veggies have. Go straight for the whole fruit or vegetable and you’ll be doing your body good.

5. Make A List

If you find yourself overwhelmed by small issues, whether around the house or little work tasks, make a clear list of what needs to be done. Take one day off from your regular hustle and bustle and just focus on knocking out this list. Once they’re taken care of, you’ll have a better handle on your day to day life.

Having anything hanging over your head from day to day can help you to get down on yourself. Take care of the little things and you’ll be in a better space without the nagging feeling that you need to be taking care of something else.

It’s hard to take time for self love if you feel like you need to be working on something else.

6. Take Yourself Out

Taking yourself out for dinner, a drink, or a show is a great idea for practicing self love. If you’re finding that self love doesn’t come naturally, think about what things you’d like someone to do for you and just do them on your own.

If you’ve been meaning to go see some new film, stop waiting for someone to take you out. Take yourself out and show yourself a good time.

While you can always invite a friend along, don’t make your happiness contingent on them. Self love means that you can be happy without needing to worry about anyone else.

Self Love Requires Time

If you’re overwhelmed with school, work, family, or a combination of the three, it’s going to be hard to find the time to show yourself some love. Self love requires the privilege of time.

Ask your partner, friends, or loved ones to help you out if you can’t find the time on your own.

If you’re looking for more tips on self-improvement, check out the rest of our site for everyday solutions to common problems.