Reconnect With Yourself

What is self-love?

Self-love refers to the practice of providing yourself with compassion and care. It involves accepting and valuing yourself as a whole, including your strengths and weaknesses. Treating yourself the way you would treat a dear friend or a loved one is incredibly important for one’s health. 

There are four main components of self-love:

1. Self-awareness: seeing all your strengths and weaknesses

2. Self-worth: believing in your value

3. Self-esteem: having confidence in and respect for yourself

4. Self-care: doing the things that keep you healthy and happy

Exploring creative and mindfulness-based self-love practices can be enriching.

1. Journaling for Self-Love

Self-love journaling can help foster a deeper and more meaningful connection with yourself. 

1. Choose the right journal - Something you love to open up and spend time with.

2. Establish a routine - Try to stick with the same time of day and write daily to establish a habit. Some enjoy writing in the morning before the stress of the day intrudes whereas others prefer night time to process the day’s events.

3. Choose a dedicated space - A quiet, private place where you can express yourself is ideal.

4. Start small - Start with about 5 minutes and then use a timer to help you gradually extend writing time as you gain confidence.

5. Set your intention - Setting an intention gives you a focus for your journaling and allows you to reflect on how that intention will help you achieve your goal.

   
   

2. The Power of Affirmations

Positive affirmations are positive phrases or statements used to challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts. They can be used to combat subconscious patterns of negative self-talk by replacing the negativity with more hopeful narratives. This can help us to respond in a less defensive and resistant way when we’re presented with threats and boost self-esteem. 

Example. This is one isolated moment, not my entire life. Things will get better. 

3. Solo Dates & Spending Time With Yourself

Solo dating is a great way to make time for yourself. A solo date is an intentional activity that you do alone and must be scheduled outside of your normal routine to show commitment. This may feel awkward at first, but it’s a great way to get out of your comfort zone and prioritize your relationship with yourself.

Solo dates can:

1. Help you reset and reconnect with your feelings

2. Offer up new experiences rather than putting them on hold to do them with someone else

3. Give you confidence as you push through the discomfort and realize that your happiness doesn’t depend on other people

   
   

References:

​​Wright, K. W. (2024, September 30). The transformative act of self-love journaling. Day One | Your Journal for Life. https://dayoneapp.com/blog/self-love-journaling/ 

Catherine Moore, P. (2024, September 11). Positive daily affirmations: Is there science behind it?. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/daily-affirmations/ 

Deczynski, R. (n.d.). Bumble - five reasons to go on a solo date-and how to do it. Bumble Buzz. https://bumble.com/en-ca/the-buzz/how-to-date-yourself