Our task for you this week, as part of the 28 day “I’m Possible Challenge”, is to practice self-love.
At the beginning of the week we spoke about self-awareness and how, without self-awareness, it’s not easy to figure out who you truly are and where you’re going in life.
As one of the steps to becoming self-aware, self-love is really important.
Self-love is a constant process. It should be practiced daily, but it can take a lifetime to master. So, be gentle on yourself and supportive of your own journey, especially through the hard times.
Here are six ways you can be more self-loving this weekend:
Unclutter your mind.
In order to still your mind for a moment sit down somewhere quiet, where you will not have any distraction – this can be anywhere – your own home, garden, park, or the beach.
Take a few deep breaths to release the tension. Breathe in deeply and then exhale, until you feel yourself loosening up. Continue focusing on your breathing as it comes in through your nose and out of your mouth. With each breath you should feel yourself becoming calmer. Every time your mind begins to drift off on a tangent bring it back in by focusing on your breathing. You can do this for as long as you wish.
Be at peace and de-stress.
Any form of physical activity is great to help you de-stress and release endorphins. Try walking, running, dancing or going to the gym. Even cleaning the house can help you release tension and allow you to re-focus your mind.
Don’t compare yourself to others.
“The reason why we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind the scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.” Steven Furtick
We’re all on our own journeys in life. By comparing yourself to others, you’re making your own journey less important. Remember, you’re only seeing a snap shot of that person’s life – you don’t truly know their history or what they have been through. Instead of wallowing in all of your perceived short-comings, rather focus on being happy with what you have right now and feel inspired to strive towards where you want to be.
Do something you’re good at.
Doing something that you’re good at will really help to build your self-esteem and remind you of all of your many wonderful talents. It’s a great way to boost endorphins and to make you feel good about yourself. So go out there this weekend and paint, draw, run, dance, cook, write and be happy knowing that you’ve got this one!
Surround yourself with positive people.
Positivity encourages positivity. Being around people who are comfortable with themselves and exude good vibes is great for a healthy mind. It makes you want to be a better person. It will also remind you of all of the love and support you have around you – in our darkest moments we push these people away, when we really need them the most.
Play.
There’s a powerful statement that reads, “The opposite of play isn’t work, it’s depression. To play is to act out and be wilful, exultant and committed” (Brian Sutton-Smith). We need to play to feel alive, to be happy and to be connected to the world and people around us. This weekend, we encourage you to be as free and excitableas a child. Positively act out, be wilful,exultant and committed!
