Self-love February: How to love yourself

Continuing with February’s theme of self-love, today we’re looking at how to love yourself and exploring some of the best tips and tricks credited with helping to boost self-esteem.

Self-Esteem stats

Women in particular it seems, are increasingly falling victim to worrying levels of self-doubt and low self-worth, in dire need of a lesson in self-love.

74% of girls say they are under pressure to please everyone (Girls Inc, The Supergirl Dilemma) and a staggering 67% of women believe they need more support building confidence to feel like they can be leaders (KPMG Women’s Leadership Study).

Physically, 98% of girls feel there is “an immense pressure from external sources to look a certain way” (National Report on Self Esteem), with an astounding 78% of girls aged 17 feeling unhappy with their bodies (National Institute on Media and the Family).

These are, undeniably, some pretty shocking statistics and ones that we can probably all relate to far more than we’d be happy to admit. So what can we do about it?

How to love yourself

Loving yourself is a pretty broad concept and for many, achieving self-love might seem like a massive mountain to climb. Whilst there’s no one size fits all approach, these tips and tricks offer some of the best practices that will help you learn how to love yourself.

Take time for yourself

We can’t stress the importance of this enough, making time for you is paramount in the quest for self-love. Whether it’s implementing a 15-minute skincare regime at the end of every day, practising regular meditation or even just dedicating an hour in your daily routine to reading a good book; time spent with your thoughts, to restore and reenergise, is imperative.

We find that taking time once a week to relax in a hot bath with Liquid Yoga Restorative Bath Soak can do wonders to help re-centre your feeling of self-worth. Packed with calm-inducing essential oils, this aromatherapeutic Bath Soak and Space Spray will leave you feeling relaxed and renewed.

Don’t be afraid to say no

With the pressures of modern day life only continuing to mount, maintaining an active social life can sometimes seem like a job in itself. If it’s not a mid-week catch up with old school friends or Friday night drinks with your colleagues from work, it’s trips across the country to attend a friend’s birthday or a Sunday afternoon meal spent with the family.

Whilst in themselves, these events are great, it’s ok to feel overwhelmed sometimes! Make the effort, see your loved ones, but don’t exhaust yourself; feel confident in saying no to something if you haven’t got the time or energy. We promise they will understand!

Stop trying to please everyone

Whether it’s your boss, your partner, your parents or your friends, it seems like someone always needs something, and often, these needs can be conflicting. Your boss needs you to work late but you promised your friend that you’d meet them for food, what can you do?

Current you, for fear of disappointing either, might work furiously fast to get things done that little bit earlier, whilst pushing dinner back an hour so you can still attend. This leaves you feeling anxious that you’ve not completed your work to the best of your ability, and exhausted because you won’t arrive home until gone your usual bedtime; not a good recipe for loving yourself! Evaluate which is most important, which is most beneficial and prioritise. You can only do so much and, even though it might not seem it, those around you will get that and empathise.

Catch up on Self-Love February

The Ultimate Self-Love Bodycare Routine / What do you love most about yourself?

aitchisonm

Writer and expert