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Do you have a romance with yourself?
I’m going to answer this for you and say that yes, you absolutely can and it’s much easier than you may think. You just have to know the not-so-secret-anymore-but-still-extremely-effective formula.
Self-care.
Practicing self-care and self-love has become an essential part of my life and it has helped me stay upbeat and true to myself despite all the setbacks and obstacles life has thrown my way. It never ceases to amaze me how grounding and rewarding a few simple habits of self-care can be. I’ve never felt so at peace with myself and my life and it gets better every single day.
Self-care helps in many challenging situations, but it’s the most effective when you practice it regularly. The more often you actively love yourself the more intuitive and powerful these self-care tools get. You’ll be able to let go of stress, anger, frustration, fear, resentment and the nagging feeling of unworthiness. You’ll cherish your body and listen to your needs. You’ll declutter your mind and embrace life as it is now.
You’ll be so much more balanced and free. And, yes, you’ll also love yourself for the brilliant person you are.
Developing a nurturing self-care is super easy and fun to do. It’s best to experiment a bit to figure out what feels right for you. But if you’re struggling to get started, here are 55 quick tips for you.
You can try them all, pick the ones that speak to you and adapt them to your liking.
1. Go complaint free for at least a day
This’ll free your mind of negative thoughts and it’ll instantly improve your mood.
2. Get sweatin’
Being physically active nurtures your well-being and your inner balance.
3. Do something badly and be proud of it
Screw up and smile.
4. Script
Free flow write in a journal and see what comes out of your mind. No judgement!
5. Have a romantic candle light dinner with yourself
Go all out and treat yourself to delicious delicatessen, champagne and classical music.
6. Kiss your reflection in the mirror
Give yourself a big smooch.
7. Unfriend annoying people on Facebook
You don’t need people who pull you down. Just click the button and you’ll see how free you’ll feel.
8. Educate yourself
Quench your curiosity by learning something new.
9. Watch “The Notebook” or “My Best Friend’s Wedding”
Make yourself some popcorn and maybe invite a friend.
10. Say goodbye to false beliefs about yourself, money and love
What beliefs are you holding on to and do they hold any truth? Dig deep.
11. Practice Hoʻoponopono
This powerful ancient Hawaiian practice of self-forgiveness is so powerful when you repeat it often. It’s helped me to deal with all the recent changes in my life.
12. Smile
Smiling is the best way to brighten your mood, especially on a grim day.
Give yourself the time to really dive into your self-care practice.
14. Feel the grass tickling your naked feet
This’ll ground you. Literally.
15. Draw a picture of your inner child
Relax, breathe and then let your hands show you the way. You’ll learn a lot about yourself and your needs if you can let go of thoughts like “I’m not good enough” when painting.
16. Feel the beauty that surrounds you
Tune in to the wonderful people in your life, the gorgeous flowers in your garden, the breathtaking view of the mountains or the clear water of a lake.
17. Unplug for a few days
This’ll quiet the noises of “not good enough”, “not pretty enough” or “not skinny enough”.
18. Describe yourself in 5 words
Fun, loving, ambitious, witty, shy?
19. Subscribe to inspiring blogs
Reading a positive message every single day will give you a lot of perspective on yourself and life.
20. Tap into your intuition
Let your gut guide you for a change.
21. Breathe deeply
Whenever you’re stressed or tense, breathe deeply and consciously.
22. Discover your roots
Do you know about your family’s history? Now is the time to find out.
23. Talk to your grandparents or other wise mentors
It’s so rewarding to hear the point of view of people who have experienced life in completely different ways than you have. Listen and soak up their wisdom.
24. Cry
Release your emotions. It’s OK to be sad, feel lonely or hurt. Embrace those feelings as part of you.
25. Negate every negative thought with an empowering one
Soon your mind will automatically go to the positive thought. Just think how awesome it will be once you’ve gotten rid of all the negativity.
26. Get lost in doing a puzzle
One of my favorite self-care practices.
27. Pamper yourself (soak in a hot both, reward yourself with a relaxing face massage, get a new haircut or get a manicure and pedicure)
Don’t shy away from spending time and/or money on yourself. You deserve it.
28. Jump in piles of leaves
Have fun!
29. Delight in little things
Enjoy the sun on your face, the taste of chocolate on your tongue, the excitement in a loved one’s voice or the laughter of a child.
30. Create a vision board
Get creative. Use images you’ve found in magazines, pictures you’ve taken yourself, glitter and lots of color.
31. Sing Karaoke
Dare to be silly and not in control.
32. See a ballet
And admire the grace of the dancers.
Holding on to it only hurts your health and your soul.
34. Hug yourself
Show yourself some love.
35. Read “The Gifts of Imperfection” by Brene Brown or “You Can Heal Your Life” By Louise L. Hay
Eye-opening and inspiring books.
36. Go through pictures of your last vacation and indulge in memories
This always energizes me.
37. Tell yourself that you’re truly scrumptious
Because you are.
38. Be your own best friend
Rely on yourself, trust yourself, love yourself.
39. Care
Care about yourself, others and the world.
40. Open your hips with Yoga
This’ll help you to relieve stress and anxiety.
41. Show compassion towards yourself
Stop going after perfection and instead embrace fulfillment.
42. Take a break from self-improvement
Just be lazy and relax.
43. Play revenge on someone (but only in your mind)
This exercise helps tremendously when you have trouble letting go of the past.
44. Spend time with your pet
Just play for a while.
45. Indulge in your favorite guilty pleasure
C’mon, we all have some.
46. Close your eyes for a few minutes
Whenever you feel overwhelmed or need a few minutes to just breathe, close your eyes and notice your breath.
47. Sigh deeply
This is super invigorating.
48. Stop dieting
Diets only hurt your self-confidence. There’s nothing wrong with who you are, don’t let diets tell you so.
49. Join the The Ultimate Guide to a Healthy Body Image Read-Along
It’s fun and it’ll boost your body image.
50. Walk around nakedly (at home, of course)
This’ll deepen the relationship you have with your body.
51. Create boundaries
Say “no” to others more often and thereby “yes” to yourself.
52. Sleep in
Oh, sleep is so important for your well-being. Sleep in every once in a while.
53. Look up to the sky and feel the power of the universe
You’re part of it all. Do you feel it?
54. Tell your loved ones how much you love them
Write a letter if you can’t say it out loud.
55. Tell yourself how much you love yourself every single day
If you can’t believe it just yet, you soon will. You have to be willing to change though.
I want to hear from you. Have you given self-care a try? What are your favorite ways to practice self-care?
Ready to change your life? Book a 30-minute complimentary Discovery Call with me to see how I can help you turn that body-hatred into freedom and love.
Chat with me on Facebook or Instagram.
Love and light,
Enjoyed this episode? Share it with others in your life who MUST listen to it right now. YOU are a change maker in this world and your voice needs to be heard.
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Thanks for recommending this article, Anne-Sophie. I’ve found that writing myself a love note every day really does work wonders for my self-care practice, so I’m suggesting that as an addition to everyone who reads this. 😉
I also go off the grid for days at a time when I just need to get away from it all and centre myself. It’s bliss to cut out all the noise and hear myself think and breathe and feel.
Thank you for sharing this. 🙂 xoxo
Otiti, how great to see you here! Thanks a lot for your comment. I love the idea of writing yourself a love note. Until you talked about it on Facebook, I had actually never thought of it in that way, but you inspired me to start this habit and it’s amazing how your attitude changes. So, thanks for your inspiration and wonderful idea, Otiti.
This is a lovely reminder with so many good ideas on it! Thank you for all you do, Anne Sophie – you are a phenomenal woman!
Thank you for your continued support. I so appreciate you. xxx