By Isha Sharma | Posted: May 28, 2018
Spring is a time of renewal -of new adventures, of new possibilities, even of new romance.
We often spend much of our time loving and thinking about those we’re close to - whether our family, our friends, or our partners, that we hardly spend any time for and with ourselves.
To reach our greatest potential in all dimensions, we need to practice self-care and self-love for and with ourselves - approaching our relationship with ourselves with kindness, care and compassion. Only when we are softer, more gentle, and kinder with ourselves, can we learn the lessons we need to be bolder, wiser and stronger.
Self-love is a constant nurturing of yourself and a conscious catering to your needs; physically, emotionally, mentally and spirituality. A foundation of self-love is built with small steps, and you will find that when you attend to your own needs and give yourself the attention you often seek from others, your relationships will be much more enriching, satisfying and fulfilling.
7 Easy Steps to Self Love and Care
1. Meditate: Meditation calms and soothes you. At first, you might find it hard to just SIT with everything that’s going on and your thoughts roving all over the place. But over time you will find that even just 5 minutes of mindfulness can make you more aware, enlivened, and energized on a daily basis. Learn an easy Sahaj Samadhi Meditation technique at a meditation retreat near you. Find the nearest location here.
2. Create a night ritual: Having a nightly ritual not only helps you get better sleep and settle in after a long day out, but also nourishes your skin, calms your thoughts, and makes you subconsciously feel loved and pampered. Your nightly ritual doesn’t have to be exhaustive, but it does have to be something special. So instead of simply going through the motions, try making your nightly routine something like a meditation, something that you do as a treat instead of something merely part of your schedule.
3. Write a journal: Writing a journal helps you release unexpressed emotions, examine the root cause of your emotions and thoughts, and improves your mood, leaving you feeling calm, centred and capable.
When you take time to examine your feelings, you will often find that there is a specific worry or problem that needs to be addressed. Journaling helps to dig deeper and get to the root of the problem. Also, it's a place to let out any unaddressed emotional baggage that you need to let go of, helping you feel lighter at the end of the day.
Writing a journal also helps to nourish and enrich yourself, as it's a platform or space for you to write your goals, imagine your dreams, tune into your inspiration, and concretize your plans - giving you a sense of accomplishment and a feeling that you are getting closer to your goals.
4. Indulge in aromatherapy: This does not mean getting an expensive aromatherapy massage. It can be as simple as lighting yourself a wholesome, calming-scented candle. Just putting on a favourite calming scent of your own can help you relieve stress and create a calming atmosphere for mental and emotional nurturing.
5. Cook for yourself: Cooking for yourself is way to subconsciously tell yourself that you care - about your body, your well-being and your health.
This does not mean cooking yourself a meal in a rush. It means mindfully taking out time to cook a wholesome slow meal for yourself - it can be a simple favourite comfort food or a new recipe you always loved but thought you could never cook. Surprise yourself!
6. Gift yourself something: Saving some money in your penny box, and gifting yourself something that you feel is valuable is a sure way of self-care and pampering. By doing this, you are unconsciously giving yourself the signal and the messages that you deserve the best and you deserve to give yourself the best. Gifting yourself something unconsciously uplifts your self-confidence, independence and self-reliability.
7. Go to the spa or give yourself a massage: You don't have to splurge. Even a tea-light candle with a bubble bath and a self massage with coconut or olive oil can be your DIY spa. Just attending to your body and giving it the time to relax, unwind and give your body the much-needed opportunity to recuperate and restore. It's not about spending lots of money at the spa, but about paying attention to yourself and consciously giving time to yourself to step back and enjoy yourself!
So this spring, the month of new blossoming in the air, besides giving and showing your loved ones that you care, also give yourself the affirmation and message that you love and care about yourself. You cannot pour from an empty cup, and unless you do not give yourself the love and attention you need, you won't be able to fulfill or be fulfilled in your other relationships too. These tips and small actions, carried out over a period of time, can help you cultivate that sense of self-respect, worth, and love, and as a result, make you feel whole and enriched, enriching all other relationships around you, too.
By Isha Sharma, a global nomad native to the Himalayas and raised across six countries. Youth Ambassador and Instructor at the Art of Living, E-RYT 300 Yoga Teacher, Social Worker, Nutritionist and Mind-Body Wellness Writer.
