- Meditate
One of the greatest healing modalities to bring you back to your heart space and align yourself with your true soul purpose and calling. When life gets busy meditation enables you to calm the mind and listen to your true inner voice allowing you to be more open to receiving the universes guiding messages and love. I highly recommend the meditation resources offered by the amazing Gabrielle Bernstein – https://gabbybernstein.com/
- Value your time and energy
Your energy is one of the most sacred things you have in this lifetime. Choose wisely where you place your time and energy. Wherever you choose to do ask yourself this, “Is this going to bring me the highest grade of happiness and fulfilment in my life?” If the answer is NO. Then maybe it’s time to shift your energy to places that lift your vibration higher, rather than pull you down.
- Wear clothes that represent your personality
Your signature style expresses who you are and empowers you to feel more confident. One of the most beautiful ways to practice self love is to wear clothes that make you feel like the real and authentic you. Wear your favourite colours and patterns and give yourself a makeover.
- Stop comparing yourself to others
In a world where we see so much of other people’s lives through social media, it can be hard not to compare our efforts with those of others. Just remember, everyone is on their own journey and what we perceive from the outside may not be the reality. Run your own race. Stay focused on your own goals. Draw inspiration from others but don’t pull yourself down. You are doing the best you can.
- Surround yourself with people who lift you higher
You become like the 5 people you spend most of your time with. Surround yourself with people who challenge you, make you laugh and see greatness in you. Be the energy you want to attract.
- Keep a journal
Like a trusty friend, your journal is always ready to listen to every feeling you wish to express. Don’t hold back, express your deepest thoughts, feelings and emotions. See it as an open conversation with the universe. Release your worries and allow yourself to feel a sense of relief as your words spill out onto the pages.
- Accept compliments
I read a quote the other day, “Imagine if we obsessed about the things we loved about ourselves.” When someone tells you how beautiful you look or congratulates you on a job well done, accept it with gratitude and honour how great it makes you feel. Yes, it may feel uncomfortable but too often we push compliments away, when instead we should own and accept them as a reminder for how truly amazing we are.
- Nourish your body
Your body is an amazing vessel you have been gifted in this lifetime. Care for it like you would a child. Eat wholefood nutrition, drink plenty of water, rest and move your body on a daily basis. Give your body the energy and motivation to live your best life everyday.
- Find the blessings
Even in our most tragic and darkest moments there is always a hidden blessing. Sometimes we need these circumstances to occur to teach us a little more about ourselves, to set us on a new and more fulfilling path and transform us into who we are destined to be.
- Choose to let go
Attachment can cause us to hold on to things that no longer serve our higher purpose. It can also cause feelings of anger, pain and frustration. Take a deep breath and relieve yourself of these pressures. Sometimes we can’t see that the minute we let go, a whole new wonderful world of amazing opportunity and experiences is waiting for us on the other side.
- Stop chasing perfection
Being a perfectionist can certainly push you to excel and achieve great things in your life but does it deliver true happiness? Or does it turn the journey into one of frustration, disappointment and dissatisfaction. Expecting everything to go as planned, being relentless in the pursuit of the outcome, not starting something because it isn’t perfect yet, are just some of the ways we kill happiness in the fight for perfection. It’s crazy! Stop chasing perfection. You might be surprised with what the universe delivers along the way.
- Be vulnerable
Brene Brown says, “Daring greatly means the courage to BE VULNERABLE. It means to show up and be seen. To ask for what you need. To talk about how you’re feeling, to have the hard conversations.”
In all my years of study on personal development, this one word VULNERABILITY sums up the very essence of transformation. When we pull back the covers, break down the walls we have built up and show ourselves for who we truly are, we enter a space of true vulnerability. This action takes the deepest courage and is a true commitment to loving yourself more deeply.
- Do what you love
Paint, draw, write, dance, sing, cook or run. Whatever it is you love to do, make sure you make time for it in your week. Sometimes the things we love to do the most end up at the bottom of the list which is detrimental to our health and happiness. The things you love bring you the most happiness, so love yourself enough to dedicate time to these activities. Make this time a non-negotiable and let those you love know how important these activities mean to you so they can support you on your self-love journey.
- Stop people pleasing
Are you doing something because it makes you happy or are you doing it to please others? You are not being selfish when you choose to put your happiness first. When you practice self-care and choose to support and love yourself first, you become a self-love leader and inspire others to follow the same mantra in their lives too.
- Educate yourself
Take the time to immerse yourself in learning everything there is to know about yourself and the universe we live in. Take a personal development course, challenge yourself and open your mind to new ideas and teaching. So much growth occurs when we deepen our knowledge and implement fantastic new resources and tools into our day to day lives.
- Take inspired action
Actions speak louder than words. Love yourself enough to take the first steps to achieving a goal. No matter how big or small, you are on your way to turning that dream into a reality.
- Keep a gratitude jar
Every day write a little gratitude note and place it in a jar. At the end of the year, you will be overwhelmed with love and gratitude for everything you have experienced. When we practice gratitude we open our hearts to receiving more love, joy and happiness in our lives.
- Find the balance
Don’t push yourself to the point of breaking. Switch off from work, unplug from social media and other distractions that pull you away from living in the present moment. Find a balance between work and home life. Give yourself time to rest and recharge.
- Listen to your inner voice
This is your soul speaking to you. Let it be your guide and compass through this amazing journey we call life. Our thoughts can be powerful but when we learn to listen to that deeper, more authentic voice, we know it only speaks the truth. Spending time in nature, writing in your journal and meditating all help to bring us into alignment with our true soul purpose and calling.
- Write down 100 things you bring to the table
This exercise is designed to show you just how amazing you really are. It is the ultimate self-love exercise to open you up to seeing the amazing qualities, gifts and talents that you bring to this incredible table of life. Think of all the areas of your life and the skills and qualities that people use to describe you and start writing them down. This exercise can be confronting and challenging but so beautiful once completed. In the end, you will have a list of 100 things you bring to table. Each word describing the perfect and magical you. Use it as reminder to yourself that you possess each and every one of these qualities and be open to giving and receiving the love you deserve. If you need help with this exercise, you are more than welcome to email me at annanicole@sheloves.com.au
