6 Simple and Affordable Ways to Practice Self-Love Today

Want to know how to finally start feeling better? We’re going to have a look at some simple and affordable ways to practice self-love today.

Self-Love Program is a series of articles that will guide you through simple and actionable steps to cultivate self-love and start feeling better.

Let’s have a closer look at how you can start chipping away at any negativity you hold towards yourself.

Why Do You Need To Practice Self Love?

Self-love is one of those concepts that is very fashionable at the moment.  But we don’t usually think about how it applies to ourselves as we go about our days.  

Honoring commitments, running errands, caring for others, and generally keeping the boat afloat. Where does that leave space for us to devote to self-love?

But Lord, do we need it!

Especially when one accidental glimpse at a reflection of yourself in the mirror shocks you to the core. Repulses you even.

How can you love that oversized dumpling of a body?

How can you love yourself when you have such deep regrets?

How can you love yourself when you’ve not achieved what you expected in your career, your marriage, your business?

What Is Self Love Anyway?

The concept of self-love captivates me. And disturbs me. Like a long-lost twin I was separated from upon our arrival on planet Earth. The long-lost twin that has been slowly emerging from shadows and having her voice heard, finally.

Because I don’t know about you, but the culture I was raised in required me to always act according to other people’s expectations, to please others, to consider my needs last.

I’d become quite a people pleaser, me. And I witnessed many women throughout my childhood and adulthood, act the same and worse. Women comply and, as a result, suffer detrimental effects on their overall health and life satisfaction.

It’s no secret that a lot of us are in serious need of self-love. Just look at the world around us. If all of us knew how to practice self-love, I dare make a fair assumption that the world we’d live in would be a different planet entirely. We probably couldn’t even handle so much bliss! We’d crave a little badassery then, I’d wager.

Self-love is such a broad and deep thing that it’s impossible to cover the topic properly in one article.

We all need it, but for some reason, it can feel like abundant self-love, the kind that makes you thrive, is a little out of reach.

How Do You Start Loving Yourself Again?

So what is self-love?

How do you know you love yourself enough?

How do you go about loving yourself?

What actions do you have to take to love yourself?

And if you suffer from the lack of self-love, where do you start?

For me, self-love is kindness and compassion for myself.

Feeling compassion is a good start but how do you manifest compassion in action?

How do you turn it into tangible results?

So let’s start with the basics.

How To Start Practising Self Love

For me, that tangible manifestation of compassion lies in self-care.

‘’Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.’’

Parker Palmer

The opposite of self-love is self-neglect.

There’s nothing much that could make you feel more miserable than letting yourself go because things are rubbish and what’s the point of doing anything, anyway…

Going some time without a wash or bath, matted clumpy hair sprinkled with breadcrumbs, eating junk food, binge-watching reality shows until 4 am, and crying over other people’s Instagram perfection.

Such behavior is not uncommon in people who have experienced trauma.

People who have suffered life’s blows or made mistakes, crippled by guilt and shame, they feel they don’t deserve anything good.

A perfect recipe for self-loathing. And that’s just the start…

And I sincerely hope you don’t recognize yourself in that scenario.

But whether you are that person or not, let’s reclaim the goodness, let’s take some basic steps towards self-love, together.

6 Self Love Rituals to Start Your Self Love Practice This Week

If rediscovering self-love seems like a tall order right now, and you don’t know where to start, perhaps the best first step is to start with what you already know how to do.

The next few paragraphs will share some simple and affordable ways to practice self-love via self-care rituals.

1. Daily Hygiene Routine

Personal hygiene is key to your health and self-esteem. When you feel sad or anxious, it can be a lot harder to take care of your daily personal needs. Taking some time out to take care of those needs can be just the boost that you need to pull yourself out of a dark place.

‘’Ya know what I do almost every day? I wash. Personal hygiene is part of the package with me.’’

Jim Carey

Having a soothing bath time can do wonders if you feel stressed. Not only that, but when you take better care of yourself, you’ll look a lot better. It’s always easier to look at yourself in the mirror when you know that you’re doing what you need to do to take care of your needs.

This can also include the cleanliness of your clothes. Do you find yourself going through piles of dirty clothes so you can find something that smells a little less dirty? Take time out to do some laundry.

Once your clothes are done, go and take a nice long shower and clean yourself thoroughly. After you get out of the shower, go and put on something comfortable from the freshly washed clothes. You’ll always appreciate the wonderful feeling of clean clothes against your skin.

2. Treat Yourself to a Healthy Snack

In the last few decades, the wellness industry has been loud about promoting healthier and tastier snacks that you can enjoy without guilt.

A snack that is tasty and healthy at the same time?

Heck, yeah! If you’re a snack queen who craves nibbles when feeling blue, like me, you don’t need to feel the terror of snacking yourself to obesity!

Nothing can put a smile on my face faster than knowing that a delicious bite will not only lift my mood but also benefit my body.

‘’One must not let oneself be overwhelmed by sadness.’’

Jackie Kennedy

Getting some nutrients in the form of a sweet treat will always be something that you can enjoy without feeling bad about your willpower.

The best snacks for a healthy and fast boost to your spirit are bananas, dark chocolate, berries, walnuts, yogurt, coffee.

So you see, it’s not all boring austerity.

Grab a banana if in a hurry, sprinkle some blueberries and walnuts onto yogurt for dessert, chill to some jazz with a cup of coffee and dark chocolate.

3. Get Organized to Make Your Self Love Practice Easy

What are your living and workspaces like? When you’re a busy person it can be really easy to get caught up in the events of each day so often that you let your organization skills slide quite a bit.

Having a cluttered environment can slowly exert a lot of stress on you because your surroundings will often influence how you feel about your general functioning and can cloud your internal thoughts.

‘’Every minute you spend looking through clutter, wondering where you put this or that, being unable to focus because you’re not organized costs you: time you could have spent with family or friends, time you could have been productive around the house, time you could have been making money.’’

Jean Chatzky

Be sure to take some time every week to tidy things up to find places for the things that you use. It might also be a matter of simply having to get rid of the useless things that take up space. Once your view of your surrounding is less cluttered, then you will feel a lot less stress as you push through your days.

This is especially true of people who work from home. Try to keep your workspace and sleep space as separate as you possibly can. If that’s impossible, then a lot of time must be taken to keep your space efficient and happy. 

4. Sleep More

Sleep is one of the most important parts of the day. It’s essential to get rest because sleep is the time during which your body begins to repair itself. If you have trouble sleeping, getting better sleep might require you to make some major changes to your habits.

‘’When the going gets tough, the tough take a nap.’’

Tom Hodgkinson

If you eat late, then you’ll have to eat earlier in the day so that your body can calm down by the time you have to get in bed.

You can also just try getting to bed earlier. It might make you feel as though you are missing out on a few things, but you’ll be able to wake up earlier, which will give you a jump on planning out what you need to do each day.

5. Take Up a Mellow Hobby or Read

Sometimes people just need some time to exercise their mind, or just be entertained by their imagination. The best way to do those things would be to find a hobby or find a great book that you can read during your downtime.

Precision hobbies like knitting, needlepoint, model building, painting, and music are all great ways to express yourself while expanding your brainpower.

‘’To be really happy and really safe, one ought to have at least two or three hobbies, and they must all be real.’’ Winston Churchill

My thing is definitely reading, immersing myself in another world, in another person. After I spent some time in someone else’s shoes, I always feel calmer, more relaxed, and just…together.

Like when you shake a kaleidoscope, and all the fragments fall into place to create a beautiful pattern. All in place. Wholesome.

6. Excercise

This one should always be a go-to, but people often forget how many benefits that working out can have. Studies have known for ages that getting some exercise can be a great way to help your deal with stress and improve your mood. The endorphins that you get from physical activity can also make it easier for you to sleep.

‘’Exercise? I thought you said extra fries!’’

Anonymous

While there are so many types of physical activities to choose from, my favorite things to do when feeling blue are walking in the woods, swimming, and yoga.

Walking in the forest, or forest bathing provides a good exercise as well as closeness to nature, the most amazing and gentlest of healers. As for swimming, there’s something about being in the water and not wanting to get out, ever. Well, we are made mostly of water, and we spent a lot of time in it before making our way into the world.

My Personal Favourite

But if you don’t feel like going out, which both walking and swimming require (unless you have a forest or a pool at home), yoga is a great way to show yourself some loving.

It works for me every single time, without fail. If you’re a beginner or worried that you need professional guidance, don’t be. There are many videos available on YouTube that you can follow.

My personal all-time favorite is Adrienne Mishler and her many video programs. I love Adrienne because, during her tutorials, she often refers to yoga practice as an act of self-love.

As you follow her moves, her soothing voice will guide you through the routine without even having to look at the screen. The words she speaks will encourage you to acknowledge your imperfections and make them work for you. Adrienne is a master of making you kind to yourself.

Please give it a go, you will feel the difference.  

Week 1 Summary:

1. Create a daily personal grooming routine
2. Incorporate healthy snacks into your daily diet (bananas, dark chocolate, berries, walnuts, yoghurt, coffee)
3. Declutter and tidy your space
4. Go to bed earlier
5. Spend some time doing an activity (read a book, do a craft)
6. Move every day (go for a walk, a swim, try yoga and stretch)

Self Love Program

Self-Love Week 0: No Self Love? 5 Urgent Signs You Need to Start Cultivating It

Self-Love Week 1: 6 Simple and Affordable Ways To Start Practising Self-Love

Self-Love Week 2: 5 Ways to Build a Positive Relationship With Yourself

Self-Love Week 3: How To Treat Your Body With Kindness And Feel Happier

Self-Love Week 4: How To Have a Great Day Every Day? Wake Up Early To Avoid Panic and Meltdowns!

Self-Love Week 5: Start Living Your Best Life Now: Focus On Your Future, Not The Past

Self-Love Week 6: 5 Benefits of Positive Self-Talk For Life Change

Self-Love Week 7: How To Create a Daily Self-Care Ritual

Self-Love Week 8: How to Set Life Goals for Better Future After 40

Self-Love Week 9: How to Find Your Life Purpose in 5 Minutes a Day

@Feature Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

Disclaimer:

This article was written by Zuzana Halliwell. I am not a doctor or health professional and cannot be held liable for the information written here. This article is meant to provide information about benefits of a healthy lifestyle. The content is based on my own personal experience and on information provided by medical professionals that is available to public. It is not intended to provide medical advice. Do not use it as an alternative to seeking help from a medical professional.