The Importance of Self Love + 7 Exercises to Love Yourself Today

Looking for some new ways to practice self-love?

Loving yourself is vital to living a happy, balanced and meaningful life. Many of us are busy trying to impress, look after and go over and above for other people.

But where do we fit ourselves in? When do we find the time to truly look after ourselves?

Below I have some fantastic ideas on self-love exercises you can begin to practice right away. First, though, I want to say this…

Self Love is NOT a selfish act.

Self-love is not about being vain or overconfident.

Self-love is what you and I need to survive this crazy, fast-paced world of stress, change, ups, downs, goals, challenges, competition, etc.

If we are constantly fighting to be bigger, better, and stronger we must find some self-love techniques to stick to regularly.

Oxford Dictionary self love definition:

Regard for one’s own well-being and happiness.

– This says it all and the below examples of self-love will help you do just that.

The Importance of Self Love:

Psychology Today has a great perspective on why self-love is so important:

“…most human beings hurt, and they pass this hurt along to other people. Understanding this can help you turn your attention from waiting and wanting someone to make you whole, to realizing you have that ability inside of you.”

We can’t rely 100% on others to make us feel good, proud or to help grow our self-esteem.

Learning how to love yourself enables you to be happy in your current situation and appreciate the current journey you’re on.

Loving yourself gives you the strength to move forward, even in tough times.

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Related reading: 30 Self Love Journal Prompts to Boost Self Esteem

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7 Self Love Exercises to love yourself first:

1. Prioritize yourself.

In order to practice self-love, you must prioritize it in your life. Yes, sounds simple but how?!

There are a few ways you can do this such as using the technique of time blocking or being more mindful about finding time in your schedule.

What it really comes down to is this… if you don’t make the time for mindful self-love it will be harder to accomplish.

Once you prioritize time for self-love, take a mental note of what makes you feel good so you can do more of that!

2. Affirmations to love yourself.

Sometimes you need to give yourself a pep talk and this is where positive self love affirmations come in.

You may not realize it, but you are probably doing this throughout your day.

It may sound something like…

I can do this. I am smart and have killer jokes.

I am a loving, good person. 

I was made for this. I’m going to nail it.

I deserve respect and loyalty.

I am brave. I can take on whatever comes my way today.

–

Coming up with a list of the right self-love affirmations is quite personal.

A great way to get started is by simply jotting down some affirmation reminders that you need to hear.

A list of self-love affirmations to get you started:

• I am beautiful, inside and out.
• I deserve to experience happiness in all aspects of my life.
• I am strong.
• I will follow my heart.
• I love myself and the unique qualities I have.
• I am proud of the person I am today.
• I have no regrets in life.

It might sound silly, but pick one or two affirmations and say them to yourself while you’re getting ready in the morning. Maybe while you’re in the shower or brushing your teeth?!

7 Self love techniques you must try to love yourself today + why #selflove is so important. #loveyourself #selfcare Click To Tweet

3. Practice regular self care.

We’ve all read a lot about self-care. We know what we should be doing to practice self-care, but we are still not prioritizing it in our daily routine.

What gives?!

You can make time for self-care in a few ways:

Dedicate Specific Time In Your Calendar

Tuesday night yoga class or Sunday morning brunch with friends.

Incorporate Self Care Into Everyday Activities

Enjoying a good cup of tea while working or listening to music while cleaning the house.

Try Some Self Care Worksheets

Try out these powerful printable self care worksheets that focus on 5 key areas that drive happiness:

• Social
• Physical
• Emotional
• Intellectual
• Spiritual

This mini self-care planner will help you schedule the right self care activities for you. There are also 75 new ideas you can try! Check it out HERE!

Take Mini Self Care Breaks

Go on a 15-minute brisk walk in the middle of your day or 10 minutes to call a close friend.

Popular self-care articles to give you the inspiration to get started:

• Self Care 101. 9 Ways to Look After You
• Morning Self Care Routine. New Ideas to Start Your Day
• 10 Ways To Focus On Yourself & Not Others
• 5 Types of Self Care for a Balanced Life

4. Get some quality alone time.

There are two types of people in this world. Those who love to be alone and those who loathe it!

Okay, you might be somewhere in the middle, but I ask you this…

When was the last time you dedicated some QUALITY time to hang out with yourself?!

There are many fun things you can do on your own, such as going on a date with yourself. Have you ever tried this?

Sure, you could go and have fun with a friend, but doing something you love on your own feels so rewarding.

Check out these 10 self date ideas you can try now!

When was the last time you dedicated some QUALITY time to hang out with yourself?! #selflove #selfcare #loveyourself Click To Tweet

5. Look after your mind and body.

Many would say one of the top ways to practice self-love is to simply look after you.

Look after your body with healthy eating habits and regular exercise.

Taking care of your mind goes hand in hand with looking after your body. If you’re feeling unhappy or experiencing depression or sadness, it’s even harder to look after your body and to practice self-love.

So, if you are ever going through a tough time consider therapy. I couldn’t recommend it enough.

I am a firm believer that everyone needs to speak to a therapist at some point in your life.

You can also speak with a loved one. The key is to find a way to look after your feelings.

6. Stand up for yourself.

Self-love is being kind to yourself. It’s standing up for you… for what you believe in, for what you feel is right in your heart and knowing what is good for you.

We know ourselves more than anyone. We know when our limits are being pushed by others, whether we’re being pushed emotionally or physically – sometimes we just need to say no.

Saying no allows us to be good to ourselves and create balance in our lives.

If you have trouble saying no here are some simple steps you can take to say no without feeling guilty.

If you sometimes say maybe, when you want to say no this is especially important for you my friend.

Self love is setting boundaries. #selfcare #loveyourself #happiness Click To Tweet

7. Don’t let people be cruel to you.

When you love someone you can sometimes be blind-sighted about how they treat you. You think about how they used to be, or how you wish your relationship was.

You may not realize that you are being treated in a cruel manner – yet this person might slowly be knocking down your happiness and self-esteem.

If this is you, I am so so sorry. Being in this situation, especially for a sensitive person can be extremely upsetting.

Saying that you must set boundaries.

If you constantly feel hurt by someone you have to work even harder to grow your strength.

Practicing self-love affirmations and talking to a therapist, as mentioned above are two great ways to strengthen your emotions so you can look after yourself.

Tell me: Are you good at practising Self Love?

Share in the comments below what self-love techniques are your favourite or what you’re going to try next.

For more inspiration and to get the latest post, let’s connect on social media!

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Yolanda xo

Related Self Love Articles:

• 111 Beautiful Things To Love About Yourself
• 30-Day Self Love Challenge: Get Started!
• 25 Positive Self Love Affirmations + Free PDF Worksheet
• How to Love Yourself and Get Rid of Negative Thoughts.