Simple Ways Practically Love Yourself
5 simple and practical ways to love yourself
…love is the greatest gift of all time…
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Intro
I once had a best friend in high school who was a bookworm. One semester, she brought back this book on love languages by Gary Chapman. Which she couldn’t stop talking about.
Of course, I wasn’t a bookworm for books that didn’t contain smut scenes or cliché melodrama. My best friend was, so she summarized the whole book while I listened.
Despite my nature, I was quite intrigued by the summary and even got to read the actual book. My interest was really to explicitly fantasize about my potential love language.
Maybe know me better, especially about my “Love language”. The book expressed five different ways of expressing love to a partner. People are different and so are their love languages.
Although I might have read it at 15 years old. It didn’t mean I understood how it applied to me as a person. I certainly didn’t think it could be applied on a personal level.
Related signs of emotional dependency
What is a love language?
Basically, a love language simply means a way of expressing or communicating love. It is what makes people feel love evidently from their significant other. Of course, we know this can’t be achieved except through…you guessed right, COMMUNICATION!
what is self-love language?
Furthermore, self-love language is the mode of expression or communication of love to oneself. This is possible through identifying your true self.
Therefore, self-love language is the language that you as an individual feel comfortable expressing personal love with.
I.e, it is your preferred mode of communicating or projecting love to yourself. We will discuss form 5 of self-love using the book’s list of love languages.
Self-love as we know is the act of being kind, patient, compassionate, etc. to yourself. It is the act of expressing or projecting one’s personal or preferred definition of love, onto one’s self.
5 forms of Self-love Expression/ways to love yourself
These forms of loving yourself are adapted from Gary Chapman’s book on love languages. How can you love yourself? These are 5 ways to love yourself practically;
You learn to Love yourself by spending quality time with yourself
One of the 5 ways to love yourself is by spending quality alone time. I could go on and on about the benefits of quality alone time. Alone time helps you know yourself. And how can you love someone you don’t know?
Spending quality time with yourself can be expressed in so many ways.
Quality time can involve you consciously doing what things you love. Doing what makes you feel good without distractions. This includes;
- a hobby,
- scheduling time for a professional spa date, Skincare
- relaxing, reading,
- enjoying a walk,
- enjoying a meal
- visit a place of interest,
- enjoying nature, a show,
- talking to yourself,
- Cleaning your space
- aromatherapy, etc.
- Doing nothing but sitting back.
Use this time, to be honest with yourself and just breathe in clean air. You could spend time with people you love as a form of expressing love to yourself (and others).
At the end of it all, what matters is your happiness.
Moreso, reading is a means of spending quality time with yourself. If you enjoy a good book; studying as a form of spending quality time, then do so.
I love breathing consciously under a very shady large tree but my mind keeps thinking a snake might drop on my head. Sometimes I sit in front of the house and enjoy the view of the sky and the trees.
I enjoy a certain view of my city and every time I feel overwhelmed I try to picture that view anytime I’m passing through that lane, I consciously enjoy that view so very much.
Spending quality alone times like this helps me clear my thoughts. All internal and external conflicts are bared out and mostly resolved. I even get so many great inspirations and ideas for my endeavors.
I especially love to say affirmations of gratitude and make declarations for myself because the view just feels so pure.
Alone time for me is especially the best time to digest my feelings. Whenever I’m feeling strong emotions like anger, confusion, pain, hurt, overwhelming emotions. It helps me try to make better decisions or gather ammunition from my arsenal.
Further, quality alone time can improve your productivity. I get much more things done and enjoy doing this to recharge, unwind and get ready to move again.
Remember, quality alone time doesn’t always have to be productive. You can just rest and do absolutely nothing, maybe listen to music or something passive.
If you’re a person who enjoys alone time, then this is could be your perfect form of self-love.
Just time spent alone to breathe, let go, feel, restructure, reset, remind yourself to be patient with life, and take things eazzzzzy. Practice more of this as much as you can.
Being Kind to yourself is self-love
Love is expressed by doing things that are appreciated and valued.
For instance, think about how good you feel when you come home from a very tiring day of work. Getting home to see that someone in your family helped you arrange your room which was an explosion in the morning before you left. Except you’re an ingrate, it makes you feel good about them.
Acts of kindness as an expression of self-love are simply the “kind” or thoughtful things you do for yourself. Things that add value to your life in any way.
Be kind to yourself by doing things to make you better. Investing in education is an act of service for anyone.
Boosting your knowledge to leverage better opportunities is an act of self-love. That’s you being thoughtful for your own good. Getting a well-paying job or a running business that you love is an act of kindness to yourself. Because the income removes inconveniences in your life.
Learning a new recipe or and preparing a healthy meal for yourself is being kind to yourself. You’re being thoughtful of all your body goes through, hence you consciously consume meals that help your body stay healthy. I learned this the hard way after I suffered chronic inflammation.
Cleaning your space, and organization, scheduling your calendar to declutter your time managing it better, creating room for more productivity, and establishing more spare time.
You do yourself a very beautiful service of self-love when you walk away from toxic relationships that constantly subject your mind to negative declines.
knowing when to take a break, when to walk away, and when to take another chance is self-love through kindness (thoughtfulness).
You can also enjoy doing kind things for other people if this makes you feel good. Buy something for your pet, your friend’s kids, your friends, or your family.
You do yourself a kind act of service when you dissociate yourself from people who aren’t in line with your values. Don’t hold grudges against people, appreciate life instead of complaining. Getting help when you need it is an act of kindness to yourself.
You’re not an island and everyone needs someone’s help. Knowing you’re at your limit is an act of kindness to yourself.
Honesty with yourself is an act of kindness as well. You do yourself a kind act of love when you seek help in situations beyond your handle.
You’re doing yourself an act of kindness when you don’t spend beyond your budget.
Stay in your lane, save money, earn passive income, make smart financial decisions, and practice contentment with yourself.
Physical touch as self-love
Love can be expressed by making your physical body feel good. This can be achieved by carrying out physical actions that stimulate your body and enhances your physical well-being.
One favored form of physical touch for me is a professional massage. With organic warm coconut oil and slow classical music playing in the background. I love the smell of coconut oil. I love getting my foot properly cared for. Caring for my feet has always been really extra special to me.
I went through a number of years where I couldn’t afford a proper pedicure. Believe me, it bothered me a lot because I really love clean-looking feet. I learned to take care of my feet to the best of my abilities and pocket them at home. Now, although I’m able to afford professional pedicures, I actually just enjoy doing mine alone.
Physical touch can be a bubble bath, a long deep warm therapeutic bath, where you just immerse yourself in the water and enjoy.
A skincare routine is also another example. I absolutely enjoy applying face masks. The dry feeling and clarified feeling it leaves afterward is bliss. I enjoy skincare routines so much.
On very busy weeks, I enjoy an hour of aromatherapy and a clarity mask in my bathroom.
I have a playlist and I just sit on a clean bathroom mat or surface and just breathe and unwind my mind, massage my body, reduce tension on my face, shoulder, etc. The feeling of the clarity mask makes me feel so smooth and detoxed actually.
Other forms of physical touch include exercises, body stretches, hair care, facials, manicures, etc.
Words of affirmation
Agreeably, We all love to hear kind and reassuring words from people we care for. Maybe from strangers too. You love and care for yourself by saying positive and reaffirming words to yourself and listening to uplifting and empowering media content.
Make a routine of telling yourself nice things every day. Loving and kind words are like a balm to the soul. Look at yourself and tell yourself you’re simply amazing for being responsible.
Congratulate yourself for being patient when it was hard to. For handling difficult situations and people. For being human. Positive self-talk, positive pep talk, honesty faith, and trust are what you should put into your words of affirmation.
Whenever you find yourself in doubt, or tough situations, try reciting your words of affirmation with faith. Tell yourself you can conquer what you set your heart to do so. Remind yourself this journey is for a reason. Affirm your person, bless yourself, be grateful for the life you have, be thankful for what’s t come, etc. Be the encouragement you want from others.
Words of affirmations do wonders to the mind, have a positive affirmations audio in your phone in case you’d love to listen, and have a positive affirmations display on your phone or as a hard copy framed picture. Listen to uplifting music and podcasts, etc. Consciously put yourself in a good mindset.
Buying Thoughtful Gifts:
The last of the 5 ways to love yourself is through thoughtful gifting. In this case, buying gifts for yourself (or maybe someone else).
Evidently, It feels good to spend money on the things you enjoy. It could be house details, food, investing in potential markets, vacations, gifts for family, gaining assets, etc.
Spending money on things that add value, happiness, and pleasure is a form of self-love. However, buying gifts shouldn’t cripple you and your finances. So, discipline yourself and your habits to avoid financial ruin, Budgeting is always a good financial decision