7 Life Changing Ways to Love Yourself Again ...

1. Forgive and Forget

Forgiving yourself and forgetting about the past is one of the best ways to love yourself again. You will not be able to move forward and embrace your amazing future without first letting go of whatever has been keeping you locked up in a box. Easier said than done, right? Of course. Understand that this process takes time but it needs to be done. Begin with repeating to yourself, «I love myself. I forgive myself. I open myself up to healing.» Forgetting the past can also be difficult but the best way to cope is to create new memories, try focusing on the present, and surrounding yourself with positive people.

2. Compliment Yourself

This step is crucial. Even if it take setting alarms to remind yourself to take a few moments to say «I am beautiful» or «people love me» or «I am loved and accepted», then do it. I love to write positive affirmations and leave notes on my windows, on the mirrors, or even in my purse. Complimenting yourself will increase your self-confidence and will be the best guide in loving yourself again.

3. Trust Yourself

Your intuition is probably correct most of the time. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. If something feels right and leaves you with a sense of peace, do it. When you learn how to trust yourself you will begin to open up to yourself with love.

4. Spend Quality Time with You

This means meditate, write in a journal or diary, or even paint. Spending quality time with yourself gives you the much-needed alone time getting to know yourself better. I personally really enjoy writing – I have at least 10 different journals and diaries that I’ve collected and written in since the 6th grade. It’s such a liberating way to write down all of my feelings and emotions and then be able to go back and not only see what I was thinking/feeling on a specific day, but also be able to learn more about how to improve for the future from past mistakes.

5. Do What Makes You Smile

If you love to dance around your room blasting music, do it. If you love to sit in a quiet room and reflect or draw, do it. If you love to go shopping and hang out with friends, do it. Focus on you today and for the rest of the week – do whatever makes you laugh, smile, and feel good. The more fun activities you do, the more you will learn to love you again. As I mentioned earlier, this feeling of loving yourself again will not necessarily happen overnight. Just as it takes time to get better at a sport or become more flexible, learning to love yourself takes time, commitment, work, and consistency, but it can ultimately be achieved and the reward is far greater than the speed bumps you may encounter along the way.

6. Take Care of Your Body

Make sure to take care of your body. Eating properly and getting some physical exercise each day will not only aid in helping you look great but also it will help you feel great. I’m getting into a new yoga routine 3 times a week. Taking time to do yoga during the week is really like hitting two birds with one stone: I’m getting to spend some quality time with myself as well as taking care of my body.

7. Do Not Compare Yourself to Others

Ladies, this is so important. Please do not compare yourself to others! I know it’s super cheesy of me to get all warm and fuzzy by saying that we’re all beautiful and special in our own way, but I wouldn’t be here writing about this if I didn’t wholeheartedly believe that you ARE special and beautiful, no matter what you or anyone else thinks or makes you feel. PERIOD…do you hear me? YOU ARE SPECIAL, YOU ARE LOVED. Comparing yourself to others is one of the most toxic things you could ever do to yourself. Start today by changing a negative thought about yourself into a positive thought.

So ladies, these are some of the most life changing ways to love yourself again. Without self love, everything suffers: jobs, relationships, family. Healing starts from within. These tips were my saving grace when I was going through a tough time and I hope they are a shining light for you, too! What is your favorite pick-me-up activity that can be implemented into your routine to love yourself again?