The Art of Self Love

Let’s talk about love—not romantic gushy, mushy love, or love for a friend, sibling, child or parent, but deep, powerful self-love. Easier said than done, right?

Let’s face it, the world doesn’t exactly make it easy. With so many relatively narrow definitions of how we should look, feel and act floating around—there is a tendency to feel like we don’t measure up in one way or another. If you’re anything like me (my own worst critic) then self-love definitely doesn’t come naturally. Despite the challenges, it may actually be the most powerful type of love around, central to creating the space to live life to the fullest and move through the world with purpose and authenticity.

There is no magic formula for cultivating self-love, but here are a few simple actions to help counter negative-self talk and move towards a heightened

Put yourself first

Let’s start with a toughie—There will always be times where you have to make compromises to accommodate the people you love (#mumlife) but, there is a fine line between making the odd sacrifice for the people in your life and straight up martyrdom. What does it mean to put yourself first? Well, what do you like to do? What makes you happy? Where do your passions lie? Don’t let life get in the way of those things. Do something for you each day. Doesn’t have to be anything major— even if it’s just spending a few minutes listening to music, or having a bath— taking time to do things that you enjoy just because you enjoy them is both nourishing and a good way to reenforce the practice of self love. Sometimes, it’s all about you.

Recognise your value

Understanding where your strengths lie is an incredibly powerful tool for cultivating awareness and self belief. Knowledge is power and will allow you to develop your assets and improve upon your weaknesses to enable you to move with confidence.

Celebrate your victories (even the little ones)

It can be tempting to stress over future challenges and forget about all of the things you have accomplished. The fact that you’re still standing is proof that you can handle anything that life throws your way. Here’s to you!

Give yourself a break

It’s worth bearing in mind, failure is a part of success. As Thomas Edison famously pointed out when asked about the process of inventing the lightbulb remarking that he had not failed, but rather found 999 ways that didn’t work (and only one that did.) By redefining how we think about failure and mistakes it becomes easier to loosen the grip on the past and forgive ourselves for any perceived missteps.

Take a moment to Practice Gratitude

This may seem a little cliche, but honestly—it’s so important. Writing a quick one liner each night before bed to acknowledge something you are grateful for about yourself is a powerful way to improve self-love and appreciation. Whether it’s your capacity to accept change, the way you handled your completely unreasonable toddler in a completely drama-free way this morning, your lashes when you sweep CODE VLM on (shameless plug)—if you spend a few moments reflecting, we are certain you won’t run out of things to be grateful for.