Ten Ways to Love Yourself

[pinit count=”horizontal” url=”https://thehappygal.com/ten-ways-to-love-yourself/” image_url=”https://thehappygal.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/10-WAYS-TO-LOVE-YOURSELF-3-watermarked.jpg” description=”Take time this Valentines day to show some love. Often times as women we easily give love to those around us but forget about ourselves. #loveyourself #worth #women #valentinesday #love”]In the rush to send love to all of the people in your life this Valentine’s Day, don’t forget about the person who matters the most! Show yourself a little love this year with these ten tips:
Stop Putting Yourself Down. If you criticize yourself, either out loud or in your head, STOP IT! You should be your own biggest fan.
Accept compliments. It might be hard, but a gracious “thank you” is always the right way to respond to a compliment. It is also a way of sending yourself a message that you have value.
Don’t Compare Yourself. You’ve heard it before, and I’ll say it again: when you compare your weaknesses to the strengths of someone else, you never come out the winner. Catch yourself when you begin to compare, and quit playing that game immediately.
Celebrate Your Strengths. We all have things we do well, and happy people know how to make their strengths the focus of their identity. List five things that you do well, and celebrate them each day.
Say No. It’s tempting to spend all of our time pleasing other people. Be conscious of your limits and know when to say no.
Take Time for You. The biggest counsel I give to women who want to be happier is to carve out a regular time each day for physical and spiritual renewal. Get some exercise, pray or meditate, and remind yourself that you are worth it.
Do Something You Love. Give yourself permission to read a book, sleep in, go shopping, or have lunch with a friend. All work and no play is no fun. And the irony? You will find renewed energy to get that to-do list done.
Give Yourself A Break. Is there anyone else in your life who could accomplish all that you expect of yourself? Time for a reality check! When you are setting expectations to yourself, be kind. You can only do so much…and remember, you’re doing a pretty great job already!
Ask for Help. You don’t have to do it all by yourself. Just yesterday I was feeling overwhelmed with the piles of laundry that needed to be folded, the dinner that needed to be cooked, and my little girls who needed hair done to be ready for a party – all to be accomplished within the hour. I enlisted the help of my 14-year old with the laundry and my 11-year old with the hair-do’s, and my stress began to fade away. That’s what families and friends are for!
Go for What You Really Want in Life. Go ahead…do it! Don’t be afraid to go after what you want in life. You have the power to create it. Identify something that would mean the most, write it down, repeat it to yourself each day, and begin taking baby steps toward it. (You could even do this with a friend!)
Image by Sandrine Hudgens at Creole Art Photography