Loving Yourself is Essential

For most of us, the concept of self-care gets lost during cell phone notifications, hungry kids, impatient bosses and a 24/7 news cycle that’s continuously bombarding us with things to worry about. We seem to put everything else over our own fundamental need for things like rest, quietness, exercise, and pleasure. Something always seems more important or at least that’s the self-imposed importance we place on things.

Women are especially accustomed to pushing their self-care further and further down the to-do list. We’ve been conditioned to care for others and taught that self-sacrifice is intricately linked with motherhood and wifedom. We don’t want to be labeled “selfish” for getting a monthly massage or considered “lazy” for taking a midday nap. Ignoring our own needs while constantly meeting the needs of others can have serious physical, emotional and even spiritual ramifications.

So, while a bubble bath might give you short-term relief, it’s committing to consistent, personalized, healthful actions that will ultimately help you navigate life’s stressors and make choices that support the life you want to live. Self-care is quite literally about tending to your physical, emotional, and mental needs to heal our inner selves. It’s more about self-preservation more than anything else.

Three Ways to Practice Essential Self-Love

Say NO!

Saying no can often feel like climbing Mt. Everest. Maybe you feel obligated to agree to something like spending your time, performing a service, taking on extra responsibilities – or you're afraid to let others down. Saying no doesn’t have to mean refusing everything or things that are important to you. Start small, with simple things, and work your way up. And it doesn’t have to mean saying no at all: delegating or offering a compromise are both ways to refuse without refusing.

Advocate for yourself.

Clarify for yourself and for others exactly what you need. This will help you be clear with others about what it is you want and need for yourself. You know your needs best, so advocate for yourself. This can look like saying no, asking for space to decompress, or seeking physical or mental health assistance. Advocating for yourself can get you the care you’re looking for and, most important, the care you deserve.

Make time to do nothing.

Ditch the rat race mentality and focus more on being more intentional in your healing journey. Go out into the sunshine, take some deep breaths, and focus on absolutely nothing.

Ultimately, you know your needs best. Self-care is taking care of your needs first, however that may look. In the bigger picture, radical self-care involves healing your heart and soul as well as healing your body in order to keep going. It’s about being present in your own care ‒ recognizing that you care for yourself in an intentional way.

Radical self-care isn’t something we buy and it’s not found on social media, but rather found deep inside of us. Sometimes tough inner work means making decisions that prioritize your own inner peace and well-being. Change is hard! What if you had a strategy, personalized to meet your needs and fit your lifestyle, from a trained healthcare expert who's been where you are and who will empower you to become all you want to be? NOW, that would be EASY. Click here to schedule your free consultation.