Ah February, the month of love! Usually, we think of this love as being directed at others. It’s important to let those we care about know how much we appreciate them. It has the added bonus of making us feel good to make others happy. Instead of just thinking about loving others this month however, we want to focus on something that can surprisingly be forgotten – self love.
The famous American actress Lucille Ball once said “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” And she was so right! Yet in a world where having love for ones self can be seen as conceitedness, it’s no wonder that so many of us fall into the trap of undervaluing ourselves.
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What actually IS self love?
According to the Oxford dictionary, self-love is defined as “the feeling that your own happiness and wishes are important.” We all get caught up thinking about making the people around us happy. But our own happiness is just as valuable, if not more so. Self-love can take a physical form, such as loving our bodies, and also mental a mental form.
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Love the skin you’re in
Some people are naturally tall, others are shorter. Some people have blonde hair whilst others have black hair. People may be born with one arm, or with patches all over their skin. We are all different. Unfortunately, we are constantly plagued with images of what our society thinks is the “perfect” body. What’s really interesting to note is that this image of perfection varies from one culture to the next. So while in some Asian countries, it is considered better to have very light skin, in the West it is all about having the best tan. This just confirms what we should already know – that there IS no such thing as the “perfect” body!
Our bodies are amazing things. They can take us places, heal our hurts and survive beyond the limits of science. So rather than focusing on what your body looks like, think about all the cool stuff it can do! LOVE what it is capable of. And as with anything we love, nurture it. Try to eat healthily, with the odd treat of cake or chocolate and exercise regularly. If there’s something wrong, don’t just leave it unseen to – book a doctor’s appointment to ensure your body stays in good physical health.
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Love your mind
Self-love is not just about loving our bodies, it’s also about loving what’s inside of us. Our personalities and mental health need TLC too in order to be at their best. If there is an element of your personality that causes you unhappiness, try working on it. Perhaps you have a short temper, or you find yourself feeling jealous of others when good things happen for them. There are lots of techniques we can try to train ourselves. It takes work, time and practise, but it is possible!
Keeping our mental health in good shape is even more important than staying in physical shape. With levels of depression and anxiety on the rise, especially in the current climate, it’s important for us all to remember to take time out when we need it. Remove yourself from stressful situations if possible, or try to develop some coping strategies so that it doesn’t all get on top of you. Talk to others around you – a problem shared is a problem halved!
Image Source: Pexels
5 Tips for self-love
Self-love encompasses such a wide range of areas. Here are a few tips to help us all remember to love ourselves every day.
- Stick positive affirmations around your room to remind yourself how awesome you are – especially around the mirror!
- Don’t swell on your mistakes. Give yourself 10 minutes to wallow, find the learning points and then put it out of your mind.
- Make a vision board for yourself. Include things you want to achieve, places you want to go, topics you want to learn about. Then start making them happen.
- Observe the world around you. While you are out on your daily exercise, without being plugged into headphones or looking at your phone. Just enjoy the moment.
- Surprise yourself by saying Yes to something you might normally say No to. You might end up enjoying it!
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How can WiseUp help
WiseUp Team Building has developed activities that promote positive thinking. On all of our events, students can try challenges they might not normally try, working in teams with people who aren’t their usual social circle. This gives everyone a chance to work on their inter-personal skills and feel proud of their own achievements, as well as those of their team. Please use our easy enquiry form today to check availability for us to come and run a fun event to get your students smiling.
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