5 Simple Steps for Self Love this Valentines

What I’m Wearing

You know what they say…

If you don’t love yourself, how can you love anyone else? Total cliche, but absolutely true. I once heard someone describing love like a muscle, the best way to strengthen it is to put a little work into it, and give it regular exercise. That’s why today’s post, ahead of Valentines, is all about practising self love. Here are a few starting points, and what self love means to me.

Treat Yo’Self.

Rewarding yourself when you achieve things seems obvious, but when was the last time you did it?! This last year, I’ve been showing myself a little more generosity by rewarding accomplishments, both big and small. We can choose to seek pleasure, or focus on the negatives, and by choosing activities that you enjoy and that are good for you, you’re just fostering the positive energy and encouraging it to grow. A little while ago, I would always diminish my accomplishments, thinking that if I pushed myself harder I would achieve more, but now, I like to give myself a treat such as a positive affirmation if I have a small accomplishment, or allowing myself to celebrate the small things – whether that’s hitting a milestone with my subscribers or page views, working with a new brand, or even just finishing a task I have been putting off. Doing these little things, regularly are a great way to reward yourself, and show self love and appreciation.

2. Show Gratitude

Starting a gratitude journal was something that has had a big impact for me this year. Now, my evening routine includes taking a few moments to reflect on all of the good things in my life. Being grateful helps to grow positivity, and put more love and positive energy into your life. Focusing on the things you’re grateful for, whether it be your friend making you a perfect cup of tea, sleeping in clean bed sheets, or avoiding the red traffic lights on your way to work, by appreciating the small wins, you’ll help attract more things to be grateful for into your life.

3. Say Thank You more than you say Sorry

I feel like us brits just love to apologise. I’m guilty of it too, but why is it that we find it so hard to take a compliment? It’s really not that hard to say thank you, and following on from the precious point of gratitude, learning to say Thank You is such an important facet of self love. Try making a habit of saying Thank You tents times a day – often, we may mean it, but not say it. Set yourself the challenge to get the words out, and mean it.

4. Share the Love

Yes, another cliche. But to receive love, you’ve got to give it too – it’s one big circle! The idea is the more people you give it to, the faster it spreads. I like to think that to experience the wonderful feeling of self love, you should give something away every single day. It could be money – tipping your barista who perfects your morning cappuccino every day, or it could be a personal item – a hair bobble to a friend, a pen to someone in the post office queue, you get the idea!

Giving advice, or 5 minutes of your time is free and a wonderful way to share with others. You never know who could use a listening ear, or a helping hand. If you’ve read the secret, you’ll know that this kind of behaviour attracts more positivity back to you. By giving love away, you’re showing that you have an abundance of love, so more will come back to you.

5. Compliment Out Loud

So often, we think kind thoughts, but don’t say them. We may have kind words to offer others, or even ourselves, and yet we gold back. It’s thought that complimenting ourselves could come across as vain, and by complimenting others we may appear insincere, but that’s just not true. Compliments recognise the good that someone has done, and if we keep schtum, they will simply never realise it.

Try it today; you’re beautiful. You’re a great friend. You’re a great cook. Replace any negative self talk with positive affirmations and compliments. Be creative, and look for new ways to show appreciation for yourself and others.