Self-love does not come easy for everyone.  In fact, I think that loving ourselves unconditionally is one of the hardest things to do.  And self-love gets even more difficult in a society where it seems that we often hustle and grind at the expense of our mental and physical selves.  Now, I am all for the hustle and grind, but sometimes it makes us feel empty. Thus, valuing and practicing self-love is especially important when you feel like you’re not enough and can never have enough.

Self-love means having the highest regard for your own well-being and happiness.

At its core, self-love means having a high regard for your health and well-being.  It’s not a narcissistic “me first all day and every day.” Instead, it is more of “a healthy, whole me is my best gift to myself, family, and the world.”   

So, don’t wait until you’re stressed, burnout, and feeling unappreciated to practice self-love. Instead, awaken your warrior spirit with these 10 simple ways to practice self-love.

Show Self-Love With Daily Gratitude

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful. So, start your day by listing at least five things for which you are thankful. Examples include being thankful for:

• Health
• Family
• Job
• Home
• Pets that love you unconditionally
• Warm bed
• Great workout session

And, at the end of the day, even if it has been tough, verbally state 5 things for which you are thankful. Examples include being thankful for:

• Someone who was kind to you
• Good networking session
• New leads on a contact
• A loan that came through
• Finishing a book chapter
• Good employees and co-workers
• Catching up with loved ones by phone or video chat
• The safe drive home from work

Deepen Self-Love by Feeding Your Soul Daily

Do you start your day feeling tired or overwhelmed? Well, maybe you need to show yourself some self-love and feel your soul. Your soul is living and breathing and needs to be nourished daily. So, don’t let the hustle and grind make you forget your spiritual foundation. Here are some ways that I feed my soul in the morning:

• Reading something inspirational
• Listening to uplifting music
• Meditating
• Journaling about my stress, anxieties, and blessings

Demonstrate Self-Love by Being Gentle with Yourself

I don’t know about you, but I am hard on myself. When you hustle and grind, you make these long to-do lists; at the end of the day, there are still too many things left on the list. Or, maybe you’re like me and set the bar so high that you sometimes set yourself up for failure. Well, that is the opposite of self-love. However, I have learned to be more gentle with myself. Here are some ways that I am gentle with myself:

• Using kind words
• Giving permission to make mistakes
• Making a list of only five things that I want to accomplish
• Repeating, “It’s OK, you’re only human.”
• Hugging myself

Learn to Wait Well on Your Self-Love Journey

To “wait” means to stay where you are until a particular time, or until something happens. And, I am sure that you will agree that waiting well is probably one of the most difficult things to do in life.  However, I believe that how we wait and get through the difficulties of life are important for our emotional and mental health.  Sometimes the best way to show self-love while you hustle and grind is to wait for the great opportunities to happen rather than grabbing the first thing that comes along.

As I stated in a previous post, “waiting reveals our character and the areas in which we need to grow.” Some of the things that help me to wait well include:

• Worshiping the Creator
• Praising God for being good, faithful, and loving
• Reading inspirational books, poems, and affirmations
• Journaling my fears, anxieties, and blessings
• Being thankful for where I am now while I wait for the big things

Laugh Often on Your Self-Love Journey

Studies consistently show that laughter has healing powers. So, think of laughter as medicine for the soul, and do it often. I tend to be a very serious person, and over time, I have learned to laugh at myself as well as to laugh at how others try to put me down. And, I appreciate the healing powers of a good comedy show at the end of a really stressful day.

Restore Self-Love by Stop Sacrificing Yourself

Trying to be a martyr is a hard and thankless job. And guess what? You’ll be no good to yourself or anyone else if you’re always tired and exhausted. Self-love and martyrdom do not mix and don’t confuse self-love with selfishness.

So, what’s the solution? Stop sacrificing your health, time, energy, and the essence of who you are.

Express Self-Love by Speaking Your Truth Often

Speaking your truth comes from knowing who you are and your purpose in life. And, truth-telling is a key element of self-love because it is one of the most powerful ways to advocate for yourself and others. Yes, there is a time to be silent and hold your peace. However, there is also a time to speak the righteous truth. And, maybe today is that day.

Deepen Self-Love by Learning from Your Mistakes

Making mistakes is an affirmation that you’re human. Now, don’t miss this point. Mistakes provide new opportunities for improvement and to get it right another time. So, the next time you make a mistake, do these three things:

• Admit it
• Learn from it
• Don’t repeat it

Stare Down Fear on Every Step of Your Self-Love Journey

Fear cripples us and prevents us from being the best version of ourselves. Many of us struggle with fear of success as much as we struggle with fear of failure. But, girl, you’re destined for greatness. So, repeat often: “Fear does not own me!”

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

Learning to Say “No” Is Important to Self-Love

Do you have a hard time saying “no?” Many of us do not say “no” because we want to appear nice and collegial. However, deep down we’re often resentful and angry that we said “yes.” So, why is this important? Well, saying “no” is an important way to set boundaries and to stop people from taking advantage of your good nature. So, here are 14 polite and not so polite ways of saying “no”:

1. Nope
2. Nah
3. No way
4. Not now
5. No thanks
6. Certainly not
7. Hell no
8. By no means
9. You must be crazy
10. Momma didn’t raise a fool
11. I already made plans
12. That doesn’t fit my schedule
13. I have other commitments
14. Being silent with a blank look

Now, It’s Your Turn

Well, I hope that you will incorporate a few of these self-love tips as you get up every day and hustle and grind. Remember, prioritizing your own well-being and happiness is not selfish. I think you will enjoy the posts on 10 Morning Rituals to Make You More Productive, Learning to Wait Well, and Sistas Have to Hustle to Stay Healthy.

• When was the last time you spoke your truth? What did you say? How did it make you feel?
• What are some things that you are waiting for to happen? What do usually do while you wait?
• How do you plan to stop sacrificing yourself?
• What did you learn from your last big mistake? How would you do it differently?
• Who do you need to say “no” to this week?

Well, we look forward to hearing about your experience in the comment section of this blog.  If you enjoyed this post, please share it on your page or social network.  Your subscription to the blog is also appreciated!

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