When you’re feeling tired, stressed, and overwhelmed it only means one thing. Slow down and give yourself some love. Here are the best habits you should develop today for self-love.
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Self-love habits you should develop
Putting the needs of others ahead of your own can be exhausting. And it’s a recipe for burnout, resentment, and feeling ignored.
Giving so much of yourself, overextending your reach, and always being there to please others depletes your cup faster than you think. You can’t pour from an empty cup, as the saying goes.
And the best way you can keep your cup flowing is to also give yourself some love. For this reason, here are some of the best self-love habits you should develop today.
Live a healthy lifestyle
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is one of the best ways to love yourself. Because in keeping your body healthy, you will have the energy you need to perform better in your life.
Having a healthy lifestyle includes the following:
Healthy eating
A well-balanced diet provides your body with the nutrients it requires to stay healthy. Also, a balanced diet helps lower your blood pressure, maintain a healthy weight. And reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.
You can never go wrong with focusing on more vegetables and fruits for healthy eating. Include some protein in the form of fish, meat, poultry, or eggs. At the same time, limit your intake of sugary, starchy, and processed foods and you should be all set.
Don’t forget to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and energized longer than coffee can.
Move your body
To avoid the health risks of a sedentary lifestyle, the WHO recommends 30 minutes of moderate physical activity per day.
Regular physical activity helps to:
- Control your weight,
- Reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases,
- Manage blood sugar and insulin levels,
- Strengthen bones and muscles,
- Improve sleep, and
- Increase your chances of longevity.
If you are unable to exercise for a full 30 minutes, you can always sneak in 5 to 10 minutes of body movement here and there.
For example, at work, you can walk along the corridors for a few minutes. Or take a break and go for a walk outside.
If you work from home, try some beginner exercises available on YouTube. Or do some stretches and then a few jumping jacks for some cardio.
These small movements will help you meet your daily physical activity requirements.
Get enough sleep
Another component of a healthy lifestyle is getting enough sleep.
The body requires sleep in order to repair itself for the following day. And the adult body requires 7 to 8 hours of sleep to fully repair all of its systems in order to function properly.
However, in our fast-paced world, sleep is often overlooked. Because we put more emphasis on hustling, we consider not getting enough sleep as a badge of honor.
But keep in mind that being busy at the expense of your health is not a good trade. It’s also worth noting that there’s a distinction to be made between being productive and simply being busy.
So, in order for your body and brain to function optimally, always make time for a good night’s sleep.
Here are some tips you can try for a good night’s sleep:
- Have a nighttime routine. Such as taking a shower an hour or two before bed, no screens before bed, or reading a book an hour before bed.
- Keep a regular schedule. Make your sleep and wake-up time the same each day.
- Make your room conducive for sleeping. For example, setting the right temperature, turning off all the lights, keeping the room quiet, having the right mattress, etc.
- Think of your bedroom as a place for sleeping. So, don’t lie in bed while browsing social media or watching television.
- Make your room clutter-free. According to a study conducted by St. Lawrence University in New York, a messy bedroom reduces sleep quality.
Stop the comparison
While comparing yourself to others has some advantages, such as providing a baseline for where you are and where you want to be, the negative effects far outweigh the benefits.
When you compare yourself to others, you allow their actions to dictate your behavior.
Furthermore, you only compare yourself to what you see. People, on the other hand, will only present their best selves. As a result, your comparison is flawed.
But you’d still feel inadequate if you didn’t measure up to your perception of their “normal” self. Aside from feeling inadequate, comparing yourself to others may make you feel like a total failure.
So, please do yourself a favor and stop comparing yourself to others. You will shine in your own time, as this quote states.
Don’t compare your life to others. There is no comparison between the sun and the moon. They shine when it’s their time.
– Unknown
You deserve…
Stop going through life believing that you don’t deserve to be anything. And that your sole purpose is to serve others.
You are a wonderful person who also deserves:
to be loved
To be loved by yourself and those around you. You are not a subhuman being. You are a person. And as a person, you deserve to be loved by yourself, loved by others, and loved in return.
to be happy
Which is a decision you must make. Because you have a choice every day whether or not to be happy. So don’t let the past or the future determine your happiness. Choose to be happy right now.
to be a priority
Simply by being the wonderful person you are.
You should, therefore, learn to take care of yourself first. Prioritize your own needs so that you can continue to shine brightly for others.
Be grateful
Another way to love yourself is to be grateful. Because a happy life is one of the most beneficial effects of a grateful attitude.
And who wouldn’t want to be happy, right? Additionally, appreciating even the smallest things in life allows you to experience the following:
- Less stress,
- Increased self-esteem,
- More giving,
- Positive thinking,
- Opens up more opportunities.
Be kind to yourself
More often than not, you tend to be more forgiving of others than you are of yourself. So to give yourself some love is to be kind to yourself.
When you are loving and kind to yourself, you will also be more forgiving of your past mistakes. With this, you will be more willing to try harder and improve yourself.
By showing kindness to yourself, you also allow yourself to grow and reach your full potential.
Ban your negative beliefs
Negative thoughts are some of the things that keep you from loving yourself and being more accepting of yourself.
Thoughts such as, “I’m not good enough”, “bad things always happen to me”, or “I’m not good at public speaking, I will stutter, and just embarrass myself” have a way of limiting your abilities.
That is why you should refuse to dwell on negative thoughts that pop into your mind.
You may not be able to completely eliminate them, but you will be able to stop them with consistent practice. Then replace them with positive ones.
Spend time alone
Solitude is important especially if you are constantly rushing and find it difficult to slow down and take breaks. Spending time alone with yourself allows you to relax and become more aware of yourself.
In addition, spending time alone has other benefits such as:
- Improving concentration and memory,
- Boosting creativity,
- Improving productivity,
- Improving empathy, and
- Allowing you to process your emotions.
Continue learning
Allowing yourself to grow through continuous learning is another form of self-love. Because when you keep learning, you work hard to become your best self. This, in turn, can benefit those around you.
Those who stop learning are the ones who do not make time for themselves. And will undoubtedly fall behind.
Other advantages of continuous learning include:
- It aids in the maintenance of cognitive function,
- Increases your chances of success at work,
- Keeps you interested,
- Brings fulfillment,
- Boosts your self-esteem, and
- Broadens your network and connections.
And, in order to thrive as an informed individual, you must seek out learning resources for yourself. Here are a few things that can help.
Read
Reading is one of the most common daily habits of successful people because it helps them grow their minds and improve their lives. Also, reading is the most recommended and easiest way to continue learning.
Furthermore, technological advancements have made it easier to obtain books and reading materials. You have the option of ordering physical books online, reading e-books on your tablet, or listening to audiobooks.
Check out AudiobooksNow. They have one of the most extensive collections of audiobooks available anywhere. You can download or stream audiobooks from their website or free apps, and all of them include in-app purchasing.
Attend short courses online
Again, thanks to the ease of the internet age, we now have the power of knowledge at our fingertips.
We can find a variety of online courses that can help us upskill for career advancement or simply personal improvement with just a few clicks.
If you are on the lookout for an online learning platform, go check out Skillshare. The platform allows you to learn by watching high-quality videos at your own pace. In addition, the vast majority of courses taught by Skillshare instructors are of exceptional quality.
Visit their website and grab their offer of a free first month of unlimited classes.
Stay curious
Curiosity is the most effective way to learn new things. As Albert Einstein once said, “never lose your holy curiosity.”
Curiosity helps to:
- keep the mind active,
- anticipate and seek new ideas,
- look things from a different perspective,
- open up new worlds and possibilities, and
- bring excitement into your life.
Learn to say ‘no’
Saying no allows you to spend your time doing things that make you happy and productive rather than feeling resentful and obligated if you said yes.
Learning to say ‘no’ allows you to focus on the things you enjoy doing.
So to truly love yourself, develop in yourself the power to say no.
Closing
To close, it is important to practice self-love because it prevents burnout, stress, and resentment.
Loving yourself is a way of replenishing your cup so that you can continue to give love and serve others as the wonderful person you are.
And in order to practice self-love, you must develop the following habits:
- Living a healthy lifestyle,
- Stop comparing yourself to others,
- Believing that you deserve,
- Being grateful,
- Being kind to yourself,
- Stopping negative beliefs,
- Spending time alone,
- Continuing to learn, and
- Saying ‘no’.
Please share your thoughts or ideas about The Best Habits You Should Develop Today For Self-Love in the comments below. And if you liked this article, you might be interested as well in these articles:
Why Good Habits Beat Motivation
How To Define Yourself By Your Habits
9 Effective Habits For A Happy Life
Building Good Habits For Your To Be
How To Break 9 Bad Habits That Keep You Down
The Best Inspirational Quotes To Love Yourself
Why The Need To Love Yourself
Develop The Habit To Love Yourself
Outside reference/s:
13 Steps to Achieving Total Self-Love
Sleep tips: 6 steps to better sleep
Messy bedrooms can worsen sleep
7 Powerful Ways to Stop Negative Thinking
The Many Benefits Of Lifelong Learning
10 Ways to Keep Learning as an Adult
These are always such great reminders. Thank you for a post so filled with positivity! 🥰