Love Yourself

February is often known as the month of love. When thinking of love, we often think of how others love us as well as others that we love. This could be a long list. Maybe it's a spouse, a family member, child, friend, etc. While we often think about how others love us and how to love others, one thing that is commonly overlooked is how we can love ourselves. One big question to ask is how can we effectively love others if we do not take the time to love and value ourselves? This can be challenging... Maybe it brings up insecurities or fears from past situations. Maybe it brings up a low sense of worth. Let's take a moment to look at ways in which we can pursue a relationship with ourselves and love ourselves effectively.

One way we can work to effectively love ourselves is by partaking in selfcare. Selfcare can be broken down into four different categories: physical, social, emotional, and spiritual. When we take time to pour into ourselves in these areas it gives us the ability to refuel ourselves and meet needs as it relates to care for our wellbeing. This can look different each day based on the area of need or the form of care that is lowest. Maybe this means taking time to journal, to walk outside, to pray, or to spend time with a loved one. Taking the time to fuel and fill each cup of self care is taking the time to love and pursue ourselves.

A more challenging way to love ourselves is being mindful of how we talk and communicate with ourselves. Have you ever found yourself in a cycle of negativity as it relates to self talk and compassion for yourself? Maybe this is calling yourself a negative name when creating a mistake, maybe it's always assuming the worst of ourselves, or maybe it is assuming others view us in a negative way. The more negativity we speak to ourselves, the more likely we are to believe these negative traits are true. Instead, let's take steps to share and express positive self-talk to ourselves. This could be using words of affirmation, listing strengths, or leaving room for grace when it comes to creating mistakes.

Lastly, we can love ourselves by taking the time to set healthy boundaries. We often hear others express unhealthy tendencies and take the time to pour into them to assist with creating a healthier lifestyle in this way. If we can see unhealthy tendencies in others, why can't we practice what we preach and take time to set healthy boundaries for ourselves? This could include saying no, creating a work life balance, creating limits with unhealthy relationships, and more.

Let's work to love ourselves in effective and beneficial ways . Remember, you are important, you are valued, and you are worth it. Let's pursue ourselves as we so often pursue others.

Written by: Jordan Allen