In life, we all go through a form of stress, whether it’s class, work, relationships or even our home life. With all this stress, it can seriously send someone over the edge if they do not use methods to calm themselves. Self-love and self-care is essential for our mental health and well-being. It can help keep depressive thoughts and anxiety at bay.
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Start each day by telling yourself something really positive.
I know this sounds corny but looking in the mirror and identifying at least one thing sets the mood for the day. Try it, stand in front of your mirror, look at yourself and give yourself a compliment whether it’s a physical trait or how you behaved from the previous day.
2. Eating Healthy!
Eating healthy may not always taste good but you don’t need to follow a strict recipe. It’s your body and your life, you can take charge. Personally, after eating a big bag of chips I think, why did I do that? I know it’s not healthy. I start to feel bad. When I do eat healthily, I celebrate a little knowing I did good to my physical body too, no matter how big or small it is!
3. Stop the comparisons.
On this planet, there is no one like you, so it is unfair to compare yourself to someone else. Most of the time, when we are too hard on ourselves, we dot it because we are motivated to excel and do everything right, all the time. Your strength may be someone else’s weakness and vice versa. You should set goals based on your abilities, not on someone else. They are different through physical limitations and mental thinking. If you cannot bring yourself to think good things about yourself, surround yourself with people who love and encourage you. They will remind you how amazing you are. Embrace and love the things that make you different. This is what makes you special.
4. Step outside of your comfort zone and try something new.
It’s the amazing rush, knowing you achieved something that you didn’t know how to do before. This is the time to try things to help be a stress reliever, whether it’s yoga, painting, reading a whole book, taking a nap etc. You choose what you want to do!
5. Forgive Yourself
The biggest culprits of being so critical about our lives are our self.
Take time to calm your mind every day. Breathe in and out, clear your mind of your thoughts and just be. You can’t change the things you have done in the past but you can control your future. Look at that as a learning experience and believe that you won’t make the same mistake again. If it does happen again, it’s okay, remember you’re only human and believe you have the ability to change.
6. Find your happy place
Think about the one place that makes you feel relaxed and totally at ease, with only positivity in the atmosphere! Go to that place in hard times, whether it’s an imaginative place or physical. Think about how it feels, the memories you had there, what it looks like and maybe even the smell. Personally, I think about working with my children, just seeing their faces and the talks I’ve had with them brings a smile to my face.
You deserve to be loved not only by those around you but by the most important person in your life — YOU. So do yourself a favor, take a deep breath, give yourself a little hug because at the end of the day the one person who will always be there for you, is yourself!