Love for Yourself

The best place to start loving is to start with yourself. There are different ways to express your love: cuddling, kissing, hugging, giving a gift, and cooking for a loved one. But what does it mean to love yourself? And more importantly, why is it important to love yourself?

Love for yourself means taking time to know yourself, accept it, and embrace it. Self-love can come in different forms as well. Below are a list of ideas to get you started on your self-love journey.

Bath with candles

You can take a warm bath with scented candles. You can even use lush soaps or bath bombs and take a bubble bath. It’s a good way to relax in the evening. Depending on how your bath is set up, you can read a book or watch TV while soaking in hot water.

Blogging or journaling

Journaling is a form of creative self-expression. It’s good to get your thoughts out in writing. It’s meditative and can lead to self-reflection. You can blog, write your thoughts using different software, or write your thoughts in a paperback journal. Some people like to use fancy paperback journals to store all of their memories to refer back to at a later date.

Cooking for yourself

Try a new recipe. Or if you’re a complete beginner, take a cooking class. It’s good self-care to know how to cook. After all, food is one of our needs. And taking care of your body is a form of self-love.

There are many websites that you can learn easy to hard recipes from. I use All Recipes. You might want to check out Food Network or Delish.

Dining at a new restaurant or cafe

Nowadays with Yelp, you can find a new restaurant or cafe you’ve never been to by just searching up your favorite foods. It’s nice to treat yourself to something new once in a while, even if you’re on a budget. There are ways to make it affordable. Or, just go for dessert.

Some people have second thoughts about dining alone. But, the experience can be enhanced by increasing your awareness and focusing on the ambience of the atmosphere and the flavors of the food. Added bonus: you don’t have to worry about eating sloppily in front of a guest.

Drink a warm cup of tea, hot cocoa, or coffee

Use your favorite mug and prepare your favorite tea, hot chocolate, or coffee. Or, consider trying a new flavor for a change. Feel the warmth of the contents with your fingers (carefully of course!). Engage your senses, taking in the aroma and sweet flavors.

Dance or listen to music

Music is therapeutic. Dancing is a fun way to exercise the body and enjoy music. You can also just nod your head along to a song and sing to it. Or, just listen and take in the lyrics. Self-reflect. Make sure that the song is loving or positive. Good vibes go a long way.

Exercise

There are many classes that you can take to exercise: dance, zumba, yoga, pilates, boxing, jiu jitsu, karate, and more. Alternatively, you can hit the gym. Health is wealth after all, and what better way to love your body than to give it a good physical workout to maintain all its life functions?

Go for a walk

Maybe exercise isn’t your cup of tea. Perhaps going for a walk will be a soothing activity for you. You can travel somewhere new, or go for a stroll in the neighborhood. Take in all the sights and sounds. Wander in your thoughts and self explore.

Massage

Why not go for a massage? Even self-massages can be soothing. It’s a good way to get your blood circulating and flowing in a good way. And obviously, it’s a good way to relax.

Meditating

Meditation comes in a variety of ways. There are the guided meditations. You can find many of these on websites like YouTube. You can also meditate by simply closing your eyes in a relaxed position, perhaps sitting or lying in your bed. There are other ways to meditate too.

Reading a good book

There are so many books out there that you can purchase from a bookstore, Amazon, or a thrift store. You can even borrow a book from a local library or from a cafe that has books lying around. Reading a book is a gateway to new worlds and self-exploration. It is a way to gain knowledge and put ideas into new perspectives. What better way to love yourself than to learn something new?

Sight-seeing

With a whole world at your leisure to explore, why not travel and go sight-seeing? It could be anywhere from taking a walk in a new neighborhood to exploring The Alps. Clear your head and engage your senses. Take pictures along the way and collect fun memories.

You don’t have to go with someone else to enjoy the journey too. You can go solo and enjoy the visual experience. Or, perhaps you’ll meet a new friend along the way. Either way, it’s a good way to treat yourself.

Sleeping

Feeling a little down or tired? Hit the snooze button and snuggle up to your warm blankets. Feel the smooth or fuzzy sensations of your blankets. Dream on. Enjoy that extra rest. You deserve it.

Snuggling with a pet or stuffed animal

If you’re flying solo, you might want to snuggle with a pet or with a stuffed animal. Research has shown that petting a cat leads to lower resting heart rates. It can ease your nerves and help calm you down.

A stuffed animal can do the job well too. Stuffed animals come in different sizes and shapes. You can buy them from a local toy store or Walmart. Here is one you can buy from Amazon.

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Remember to practice self-love on a daily basis. My favorite ways of self-love from the list are getting a massage, exercising, blogging, and dancing to music. But, I make sure you incorporate different ways of loving myself every day. I hope that you do the same as well.