Love yourself—we hear it all the time, but do we really know what it means? For some, it may involve words of positive affirmation in the morning, while for others, it means gassing yourself up in the mirror on the way out the door.
The truth is, there’s no right and wrong way to love yourself. Ultimately, it all boils down to self-care; but working on ourselves—mind, body, and soul—can be a difficult task to undertake.
It may seem unnatural at first. Paying close attention to your thoughts and feelings, accepting your personal vulnerabilities, and prioritizing your own need’s as much as others requires profound will power and introspection. Frustrated that the process “isn’t working”, many give up on their routine before they can even reap the rewards.
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Today, we’re teaching you how to create a self-care routine that you’ll actually stick to. Don’t wait to show signs that scream for help; make yourself a cup of tea, sit down, and prepare to start practicing some personal TLC.
#1: Know Who You Are
The first step to self-care is closing your eyes and listening to the voice inside. Like it or not, everyone lives inside their head. Our minds are constantly chattering with thoughts—ones that are often negative and relentless.
In order to understand (and love) who you truly are, begin by conquering the vicious cycle of conditioned emotions you’ve learned to repeat throughout your life, taming the narrative inside your head, and telling the story inside your heart.
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#2: Treat Your Body Like a Temple
When you get into a self-care routine, treating your body with respect should be priority number one. These tend to be the hardest habits to follow through with because Life gets in the way and we come up with a million and one excuses for why we fell off the fitness train, sacrificed some essential sleep, or deprived ourselves of nutrients in favor of a fast food meal.
Diet, rest, and exercise are critical components of self-care, but it doesn’t stop there. We also need to be mindful of the way(s) we soothe our bodies senses. Maybe you’ve suffered a work-inhibiting headache and, on a mission to keep productivity strong, pop a pill to quickly relieve the pain. Or maybe the pressure at work has been so intense that you’ve relied on a cold, hard drink to ease the stress away (guilty as charged).
And while these quick fixes are fine in moderation, leaning on them too heavily can cause more harm than good. Rather than exposing your body to harsh chemicals and toxins, make cannabis your new wellness friend.
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There are so many ways you can invite the healing properties of cannabis into your life. You can buy Naked 100 CBD and drop a delicious tincture under your tongue to alleviate anxiety and depression, or you can apply topical CBD balm to soothe sore muscles and painful joints.
Rather than ingesting store-bought chemicals synthesized in a lab, by harnessing the power of nature, you’ll feel more connected to Mother Earth and more connected to yourself.
#3: Stock up on Essentials
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You should feel good about anything you apply on your body, so purge your cabinets of products that promote animal cruelty or contain cheap additives in favor organic, plant-based alternatives that are as good to the environment as they are to your skin.
CBD and essential oils will always be some of our favorite self-care products, but we think there’s so much to be said about an indulgent face mask. Lush face masks are made with all-natural ingredients and feel like an absolute dream—especially if you give yourself the spa-like treatment, so wear one for 10 minutes while you soak in a candlelit bath.
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Carve out some “you” time for this twice a week, and you’ll start to look as radiant on the outside as you do on the inside.
#4: Seek Social Support
Just because we’re talking about self-love, doesn’t mean that you’re in it alone. Even though we live in a hyperconnected world, our digital dependencies can cause us to crave real relationships. But loneliness and isolation can trigger feelings of despair, so sometimes reaching out to friends, family, and even strangers might be the self-care step you need to take.
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You don’t need to talk about anything heavy. Use video software like Skype to stay in touch to loved ones far away, or attend mindfulness workshops to connect with individuals who share the same interests.
Don’t rely on social interaction or positive reinforcement to validate your worth, but definitely use it to your advantage as you learn to love yourself more.