The Importance of Self Love
Our friend and life coach Charlotte Lodey provides us all with some tips for self love.....
Can you find the joy in the every day? Can you give yourself permission to be carefree? Give yourself the chance to express and be free?
You have the right to feel that lightness every day. No expectations, no judgements, no heaviness to carry.
But it can take time. Layers to peel, chapters to process and rewrite.
It starts with acceptance. Accepting who you are now and all you have been.
You are exactly where you need to be.
Trust that you can radically self accept and know that lightness is coming.
Self love means accepting your emotions for what they are and putting yourself first. As a result you can make self assured, confident decisions that allow you to speak your truth, in turn positively influencing those around you. It is important to remember that self love isn't selfish, it is necessary to live a healthy and authentic life. You’ve all heard that phrase on an airplane, “put your oxygen mask on, before helping others.” It is so vital for you to look after your mental and physical wellbeing in order for you to not burnout trying to put others needs first.
Being a people pleaser is a common trait and most of the time it is an inherited behaviour from situations that have happened in our past. If we have a fear of not being liked, accepted or maybe a fear of being judged, we can tend to put others needs before our own. This over time can make us feel like we have lost our identity, we don’t feel valued and we may experience overwhelm and stress. Self love brings us back to ourselves. Start to look at what brings you joy, what does light you up and how you can cultivate more of that in you life.
The more we understand about our values and beliefs and live more in alignment with them, the closer we are to our true selves. This allows us to love and accept every part of us and let the emotions flow through us instead of getting stuck.
Reasons why self love is important:
- Increased self esteem
- Avoid burnout
- Lower stress
- Lower anxiety
- Builds resilience
- Connects you to your values and purpose
- Create better boundaries
- Healthier relationships
- More likely to achieve goals
- More content in life
Start today, try setting healthy boundaries, saying no to things that don’t bring you joy and try carving out some time for you, to do what you want to do and see how it feels.
Here are some great affirmations to repeat to yourself to help raise self esteem:
When I fully love myself, I am able to fully love others.
Deciding to love myself is a wonderful agreement.
Each day, I allow my love for myself to grow more and more.
I am worthy of love and I honor the joy that comes with it.
Deciding to love myself unconditionally, no matter what happens feels wonderful. I deserve love and self respect.
My self-esteem grows along with my self-love
I love and accept everything about myself
Written by Charlotte Lodey