When Self-care is An Act of Self-love

I talk a lot about self-care and the importance of making it a priority but I know this can sometimes (most of the time) be easier said than done. If I’m honest, last year I did a TERRIBLE job at being consistent with my self-care.

I am committed to changing that this year and what is helping me is to consider my self-care as an act of self-love. I am asking myself what is the most loving thing I can do here? When I ask that question, it changes how I navigate a few things in my life.

There are 3 areas in your life that I suggest approaching from a position of greater self-love in service of you and your self-care.

Your Body

This is a big one, especially this time of year. If you’ve decided that you need to get back to the gym and start working out more, I invite you to consider how you could approach working out as an act of self-love?

Rather than it being about a number on a scale, or a dress size, can you make it about doing something that feels loving and supportive of who you are and how you want to show up in the world?

Run because you enjoy running and it supports the athlete you want to be, not because running 5 miles every day will help you drop the weight.

Lift weights at CrossFit because it supports you feeling stronger in your body and that’s important to you, not because you need to look fit by someone else’s standard.

Do yoga every day because it helps you ground into who you really are, not because you want to get leaner so you look better in clothes.

Anything that orients you outside of yourself becomes about what someone else is going to think about you. I want you to take care of your body because you love yourself not because you’ve been shamed into doing it.

Your Mind

This act of self-love involves monitoring your self-talk. If you’re anything like me, your inner critic regularly has a field day telling you how not enough you are. It’s probably so common for you to hear these words, you don’t even notice them anymore but they are taking a toll on your soul.

Instead of allowing every negative thought to go unchecked in your mind, challenge them when they come up. Refuse to let them pass by without calling into question what you are hearing. If you would not allow it to be said about your best friend, you can’t allow it to be said about yourself.

You have a responsibility to defend yourself against that voice in your head. Love yourself enough to stand up to your inner critic.

Your Routine

Most women’s schedules are centered around the needs of other people. This is especially true if you are a mom. But I wonder what might change if you shifted the focus and centered your schedule around what you most need. How can you rearrange your schedule to allow space for YOU to be tended to first?

I know on the surface that sounds selfish but there’s a reason why airline personnel tell you to put your oxygen mask on FIRST and then help others around you. You are of no use to anyone if you’re burned out or overwhelmed.

You likely already know this but maybe it feels too daunting to try to change your routine all at once. If that’s you then I invite you to consider one small thing you can begin doing now to help you ease into the practice of making yourself a priority.

I know that, because of cultural conditioning, what I am suggesting feels wrong on some level. But choosing self-care is never a bad idea. You can’t go wrong choosing to take care and nurture this one precious life, one precious body that you’ve been given.

This year let’s commit to better self-care as an expression of greater self-love.

From my heart to yours,

If you know you should be making yourself a priority but it feels impossible to create space for self-care, let’s talk about how coaching can support you achieving more self-love in your life. Click here to schedule a complimentary call with me today.