I am so pleased with the self-love movement that is happening lately. Why is it seemingly bubbling up? Perhaps it is a remedial response to the difficult situations that have been spotlighted by social media. Perhaps it is social media and the internet’s addition to our society that is making us need to back track a little bit to “the self” … It could be anything. But the previous is part of my guess. (Or maybe it’s always been around, and I am just finding it now!)
About 7-8 years ago, I started writing to myself in a note on my computer as a “journal”. I always would have a “self-voice” — talking myself through decisions on this journal. Working through a conversation I had or a situation that was causing me grief.
Since about two years ago, though, I started purposefully writing love letters and love notes to myself. It sounds dorky, but it is a practical way to affirm yourself. It is good “self-talk” practice. I wrote these to myself on my notes, or as texts to myself!
I’ll share a few with you with some tips/notes about it… in case you wanted to try these too!
- Affirmation note:
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Hi old friend. I miss you dearly. I think you are really special. Did you know that? Yes. You have been so open to life lately. I am very proud of you. You are tired. That is okay. I am proud of you. You are a giving person. At this moment, you feel that you may get a bit overwhelmed. You are expecting something to come. You are tired. You kind of at this moment want to just sleep. You want to gel out. You feel that maybe you are worried that you will never be able to find a place in life that feels like pure gel. You are worried that you won’t be able to catch up. Your energy feels like it has been stretched lately. In an interesting way. It is being stretched horizontally. Really thin. At this moment, you feel like something else. You maybe feel … well, you feel a lot of pressure inside your head.
______
Sometimes you need to hear some affirmation. Sometimes you need a place to understand what you are feeling. Give your feelings words… even if they don’t make sense to other people. If it makes sense to you, that is all that matters. Sometimes I text this kind of stuff to myself… sometimes I write it on the “notes” app on my computer.
Sometimes I even just send really sweet nice notes to myself through text. Like “You are doing a great job today!” It is kind of dorky, but it feels good. :) Even getting to giggle at yourself because of how funny you feel doing this is nice. And … that giggle of discomfort could be a sign that you have room to get MORE comfortable with practicing positive “self-talk”.
- “You are…” poem:
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You are love.
You are the excitement you feel when you remember you made yourself peanut butter and banana overnight oats.
You are the plugging in of your electronics when they are low.
You are the cute pink bedsheets that make you feel happy and calm.
You are the thankfulness when you left your heater on.
You are the Calm Meditation radio on Pandora when you need a break.
You are the fuzzy socks that you waited so long to buy for yourself.
You are the words on a page.
The missing keys on your keyboard.
The dents in your computer.
The sweaters hanging to dry.
You are the string lights around your room.
The paintings that make you come back home to yourself.
The necklaces you rarely wear.
The one that doesn’t leave your neck for months. Years.
You are trial and error.
Forgiveness and guilt.
Sugar and tea.
Candles and spiritual awakening.
Almond milk and bananas, oats and peanut butter. Overnight.
See full version of the poem here.
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This one helped me see who I am in a super full version. It is like you are talking to someone else in the act of saying “you are”. With this, I was able to explore so many facets of myself. The poem goes on in a lot of length, but it was so helpful to write it. You get to see the happy parts of you, the loving parts of you, the sad parts of you, and the little human things about you.
- Practical self-care:
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Hey P, to transition yourself from this space to the next, I am wanting to write out what I will do. :)
Right now, I will pack up my things.
And I will say goodbye to the office friends.
I will then put on the audiobook I’ve been listening to.
Then I will go to the store to look for buns and ketchup.
Then I will go home and change.
Then I will go over to my friend’s house.
At my friends, I will help with food + start on my design homework. IF I just want to hang out and chill, I can do that because I have already done my homework for tomorrow and half of Tuesday.
Okay, p. read it over!!
______
This one is maybe a bit “funny” to categorize as a “love letter”, but it is important to do so. It is in the self-care genre. I was having a lot of anxiety during the day I wrote this. I was transitioning from my office space (as a business-type/goal-oriented mindset) into having to hang out with friends and make food with them (as a friend-type/relaxed mindset). Sometimes this transition is hard for me. I have always struggled with the idea of “who do I need to be in this moment?”
The note above was a form of love for myself. It was helping me think through my next steps and making my day a little easier.
I hope these helped you and maybe gave you some tricks to try here and there during your day!