Every single day, we have options. We have the option to check off our to-do list and run around like crazy, without taking care of ourselves. Or, we have the option to check off our to-do list, but maybe create a plan and prioritize, so that you do not have to push yourself to the back of the line, ignoring your needs. You see – taking care of yourself and showing yourself love is important. Prioritizing self-love is very important. But, what is self-love, and what are some ways to prioritize self-love? Let me explain!

Self-love can mean something different for every single person because we all have different ways of taking care of ourselves. The general definition of self-love, however, is basically having a high regard for your well-being and happiness. It means taking care of your needs and not sacrificing your mental and physical wellness and happiness, just to get your never-ending to-do list done. Self-love also means not settling for less than you deserve. There are ways to show yourself self-love and here are a few ways to prioritize self-love on a daily basis:

Figure out what self-love means to you

The first step to prioritizing self-care, as I mentioned above, is to figure out what self-care means to you. It can mean giving yourself a break from self-judgment, trusting yourself, being nice to yourself, setting healthy boundaries, forgiving yourself, listing to our bodies, taking breaks from work and moving, putting down your phone, doing something creative, connecting with the people you love, eating healthy, and more. Everyone is different and everyone’s needs (when it comes to self-care, or anything else) should be different, as well.

Stop comparing yourself to others

This can be so challenging – I know. However, when we stop comparing ourselves to others, the world opens up for us. We don’t feel so pressured to “be this” or “do that.” Unfortunately, being on social media makes it very challenging not to compare. I mean, one look at your feed and thoughts about what you could be doing or should be doing probably comes to your mind. It might even make you feel like you aren’t enough, sometimes. If you are not careful, you could spend hours each week scrolling through the feeds of others that you don’t know, who are making you feel not-so-great about your own life. Remember this: it’s hard to be on social media without comparing, so when you do feel like this, remind yourself of two things. 1) Instagram is not everything. It’s only their highlight reel, what is good in their life. You don’t see the hard times…and no matter who you are, everyone has hard times. 2) Remind yourself that comparison steals joy. If we don’t stop comparing ourselves to others (so hard to do, I know…), we will constantly spend our energy trying to keep up with others, instead of focusing our energy on what we can do to thrive, for ourselves – for our mental and physical health and to feel great!

Make your home a place of peace

If your day (or life) is stressful, make sure you create a home that brings you a sense of peace. Make it comfortable, make it you, and make it a place that you are able to relax, unwind, and find solace in. Make it your own by bringing in art, decor, and furniture that matches your style. If you need help with heavy furniture moving, Nirvana Moving is a local AZ-based moving company that can help with full-service moves, furniture moving, and furniture delivery in Peoria. This is a great way to help you create the home you love, with the furniture you love, without having to lift a finger yourself. Sometimes, finding furniture can be a challenge and if you shop on Facebook Marketplace or another app such as that one, furniture delivery does not always come with it…which is where Nirvana Moving can help. They offer customer-focused service, fast and efficient services, and competitive pricing. With 4 years of experience, they can help create a stress-free furniture delivery service for you, and stress-free is the way to be, especially when prioritizing self-love!

Allow yourself to make mistakes – and then grow from them

As we grow older, for whatever reason, it becomes harder to make mistakes. We are tougher on ourselves and we feel more pressure to feel like we can never fail. Allowing yourself to make mistakes and then learn and grow from them, is a great way to prioritize self-love. Although making mistakes is not fun and it can be challenging, it’s also a great learning experience. You are constantly growing and evolving and when you start new, it doesn’t mean that you are automatically going to be great at whatever it is that you are starting. Push the negative self-talk to the side, and allow yourself to make mistakes, even if they are big mistakes.

Follow your dreams

This leads me to my last tip for today – follow your dreams. As we grow and learn (and make mistakes!), we will have new goals and dreams that pop up along the way. Sure, following them might be a mistake, but if you don’t, you are left with what-ifs and potentially regret. So, always follow your dreams, no matter what, even if they are scary.

xo
Mandy