The coronavirus pandemic has hurt all of us mentally. We are facing new challenges daily and working ourselves very hard online. In light of these changes, it gets easy to forget that we need a break occasionally and start neglecting our minds, wants, and bodies. So here is our guide to self-love!
1. Love yourself- This goes without saying whether we are in a pandemic or not. You have to learn to love yourself no matter what others think of you because at the end of the day you can’t change the more important aspects of yourself so learn to appreciate yourself for who you are. You have to believe that being you is awesome. Nobody has the right to tell you what you can and can't be so it is essential to be comfortable in your own skin. So, when you wake up every day in the morning, look at yourself in the mirror and just hype being you. Tell yourself that you are strong, funny, smart, beautiful and that nobody can take that away from you. This may not sound very effective but by doing so every day your subconscious mind will take in these words and start influencing your thoughts giving you real confidence about who you are.
2. Surround yourself with people who love you for who you are- In life you find people for who you think you should change yourself because they may not appreciate certain aspects of you. Don’t waste your time on these people. Instead, find people that love you for who you are and who you are comfortable being silly around because you know they will love you anyway. Find people who add to the love you give your self not the ones who take away from it and judge you for being you. You are the best and if someone can't see that then they don’t deserve your company.
3. Do what you love- This lockdown has really given so many of us a chance to explore who we really are and what we truly love. It's given us time to try and learn new languages, arts, hobbies and so much more. In your free time, do the things you love. Give yourself some alone time to just surround yourself with new things and discover what it is that you enjoy doing most.
4. Take a break- Working online has been tough for all of us. It's been a strain on our eyes and minds and takes a certain getting used to. Don’t be too hard on yourself about things like school and work. While being regular with work is very important, your mental health and keeping stress and anxiety under control is also necessary. So find a balance between the two that work well for you. If you feel like you need a break from work, take it, then come back and finish off what needs to be done after some time. However, this doesn’t mean you should hand in an assignment late, just that at times it's important to listen to your body when it needs to take a pause.
5. Unplug- with everything being online it gets really hard to limit the time you spend on a screen. On a free day, put away your devices and go for a walk. Go to the park with your family and play some ball or frisbee. Sit in the garden and watch some butterflies. Basically, just reconnect with nature. You'll be surprised how much there is to do outside the realm of social media. Spend some time with your family or even just alone without the constant distraction of a phone. Talk to people in real-time rather than over text, trust us it is a much better way to communicate. Just one hour a day, rid yourself of your phone and see what good it does you.
6. Take out time to care for your body- your body is your best friend. It will stay with you your whole life and play a huge role in determining how long you get to live. So obviously it is so important to make sure that it stays fit and healthy for as long as possible.
Exercise every day for at least an hour. This will release endorphins which will make you happy and leave you glowing for the rest of your day.
Have a massage and relax your mind and muscles. Release the stress of your day and the pain in your neck from sitting in the same position all day.
Rest your eyes and try your best to not strain them. You only get one pair and always do your best to keep them in the best possible condition.
Take care of your skin. Moisturize, put on face masks, exfoliate, cleanse, and do not pop your pimples.
Eat healthily and drink tons of water. Water will clear your skin, keep you hydrated, and active all day. You are what you eat… so make sure you eat great food.
Do not stress. Always look at the larger picture and focus on the more important things in life: your health, your family, and your friends. Try not to freak out about the small things that may go wrong because, in the long run, they will not matter.
7. Reward yourself- when you know you’ve done something well and you feel like you deserve a treat, by all means, go ahead and have it. Treat yourself to a movie, a snack, a spa day, a nap, or whatever you’ve been craving for some time. This will make you feel good and will give you the motivation to go do more amazing things that deserve rewarding. Remember, don’t expect others to reward you, instead reward yourself for achieving goals you’ve set for yourself.
And there you have it! Follow these steps and we promise you will feel more loved and taken care of by yourself – the most important thing in the world- in no time.
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