Cultivating Self-love
Nov 12, 2020
Love is a calling card, for the aspirations of our soul.
Some equate love to emotional attachment and emotional freedom.
To feel love and give love, you have to start at the centre of who you are. With yourself.
Dr Jeffery Borenstein defines self-love as:
“ Self-love is a state of appreciation for oneself, that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological and spiritual growth.”
Seeking from others will give evanescent satisfaction, however when we begin to love ourselves within, we experience a profound way to open our hearts and to create a life that is empowering.
We begin to love who we are and accept ourselves as perfectly imperfect beings, loving ourselves with kind eyes.
Here are 8 ways to cultivate and work on self-love:
Develop Awareness. Become aware of our thoughts about ourselves, our reactions, responses and behaviours to others and situations.Practice self compassion and kindness. What would you say to a friend who is experiencing the same situation as you?Research has shown doing 1 self compassion exercise for 40 mins a day, can increase self compassion in participants by 43%! ( Medical News Today, Ana Sandolu, 2018).
Set boundaries. Learn to say no to things that are not nurturing to your soul. This includes not only activities but relationships.Surround yourself with soul nurturing people.Affirmations. While these may seem strange at first, affirmations are very powerful. When we think positive about ourselves we feel good. Reflect on your I AM statements.End Comparison with others. This is not helpful! We are all unique and knowing and acknowledging our uniqueness is vital to growing a healthy self esteem and self worth.
Devote time for contemplation, either scripture, meditation, being with nature.Peaceful and rest times are a necessity for clarity and refocusing on your path and life's journey. Being with the innate spirit is the time we are given guidance and wisdom to discern also.
Work on exercises related to self-worth, self-esteem, self-compassion and self-love. Reaffirm your self-worth after a negative experience and journal qualities that are good about yourself. eg a diligent worker, kind and compassionate friend.Practice self-acceptance. Do mirror work and replace negative thoughts with kind loving ones.Honouring and Serving,
Simran K. Rattan MD
Content support Maria Peach
Simran K. Rattan MD
Content support Maria Peach