“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” —Buddha Sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey… but where do you fall when it comes to gifting yourself a little love? We’ve been sensing a self-love crisis for too long, and we’re here to help you get your relationship back on track.
Sadly, according to The Body Shop’s Global Self Love Survey, 1 in 2 women feel more doubt than self-love, and 60% wished they had more respect for themselves. Yet, key to our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing, loving and taking care of yourself helps boost self-esteem and confidence. So how can we work a bit harder on the most important relationship of all?
Take your time
Time is precious, and whilst having a friend over for dinner might involve careful planning and beautifully prepared food, how often do you treat yourself in the same way? Busy days may mean lunch on the go, grabbing something quick and eating it at your desk, or skipping meals altogether. But why do we deny ourselves the things we do so lovingly for others?
Eating well and making sure we keep ourselves healthy and hydrated is one of the simplest and most important ways to love ourselves. So make time to cook and prepare delicious meals for yourself and remember that you are worthy of nourishment too!
The power of no
It might seem like one simple word, but it can often be the hardest of all. Know your boundaries, understand what you’re willing to compromise on, and for everything else, there’s always no! And don’t forget, the word no is a sentence all of its own; no explanation needed!
Feel-good factor
Remember those things you did as a child just because? Running for the sake of it, drawing because the mood took you or baking a cake, so you had something tasty to eat. Find your feel-good factors and indulge yourself. From painting and drawing to singing, cooking or starting a new class, self-care can come in many forms.
Understand your love language
It’s the little things that make us feel loved. From affirmation and acts of service to quality time and receiving gifts, the language of love is different for us all, but do you know yours? Think of how you respond when others treat you kindly, when they send you flowers, cook for you, or even take care of the laundry —how does it feel? Start speaking your love language to yourself. That might look like ordering a food delivery once a week, so you don’t have to cook, writing positive affirmations, delegating chores, or even sending yourself a little pick-me-up treat.
Self-Talk
How you talk to yourself counts for so much; after all, you speak to yourself more than anyone else! Take note of your internal dialogue; how often are you criticising yourself, talking down to yourself or using negative words? Would you speak to a friend or family member the way you speak to yourself at times? We didn’t think so!
It can help to have little notes of kindness or positive signs dotted around the house or your workspace as beautiful reminders.
Treat Yourself...
… like you treat your friends. Think of all those birthday presents, Christmas presents, well done, good luck, congratulations cards and gifts you send each year. Now, consider how many times you’ve gifted yourself something? So treat yourself to a TreatBox and learn to celebrate YOU. Why not set yourself up a monthly treat or a one-off gift? After all, as Oscar Wilde once said, “To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.”
