5 Ways to Love Your Body for Self-Love Month
Self-love, self-care, and reparenting are buzzwords these days, but it’s because they really matter. You might even think of it like a gift of awareness that our parents and their parents’ generations did not have as much access to, so let’s take advantage of this opportunity! Love your body for Self-Love Month.
Self-love is all about appreciating yourself, knowing your worth, and treating yourself in accordance with your intrinsic value. Imagine meeting your hero – how would you treat them? How would you speak to them? Why not shower that same special treatment and praise upon yourself?
The better we treat and talk to ourselves, the more it builds self-confidence and self-esteem. With more self-esteem, we can stop settling for less than we deserve, and with more self-confidence, we can make bold steps toward living the life we’ve always wanted.
The power of self-love can be endless, and it all starts with you. Here are 5 self-love practices that show your body love.
1. Get Regular Exercise
As Mark Twain famously said, “eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day.” Or, in other words, get the least pleasant item on your to-do list out of the way first, so the rest of the day is yours.
This strategy is a good exercise approach for those who don’t always enjoy it. Regular exercise is one of the most important things you can do for your physical and mental health. Some even say that exercise is the best remedy for depression and anxiety.
2. Make Sleep a Priority
Sleep is not just a time for rest but also a time for recovery. Everything your mind and body experience during the day, from work to exercise to romance, is processed through sleep. As many know, when you aren’t getting enough sleep, you are more likely to feel depression, anxiety, irritability, and less able to focus.
Practice excellent sleep hygiene by keeping your sleeping space cool and free of electronic distractions. For those who have trouble getting to sleep, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day so that your body becomes used to the cues.
3. Calm Your Nervous System
Sometimes our body’s command center, also known as the nervous system, can get stuck on high alert due to chronic stress. When this happens, it can result in anxiety, depression, and potentially even physical health issues.
To calm the nervous system, engage in relaxing mindfulness activities like yoga or meditation. These activities help you to center your mind in the present moment rather than darting to stressful thoughts and memories.
4. Joyful Movement
Joyful movement does not have a specific definition because it can look however you want it to. However, this technique can be an extremely helpful self-care practice, especially for those dealing with trauma.
It is not just the mind that experiences stress and trauma but the body as well. Unfortunately, the body cannot be reasoned with in the same way as the mind, so trauma stays locked deep inside. One of the best ways of resolving that trauma is by allowing the body to experience joy.
Joyful movement can include dancing, playing sports, moving in the water, and walking in nature. It can be anything that brings your body pleasure.
5. Practice Safe Sex
Finally, one of the most important ways of showing your body self-love is by having strong boundaries to keep your body safe and healthy. An example of such a boundary is practicing safe sex.
Love your body for self-love month.
Sexually transmitted diseases like HIV are a big hazard, and we all need to work together to stop the spread by getting regular check-ups and practicing safety. For more information, reach out to Think Before You Sleep.com.
