5 love languages of self-love: Tips to apply them to your life

We are often so hard on ourselves that we forget to show the love that we deserve. Self-love is an essential element of living a happy life. Check out five amazing ways to show love to yourself.

Loving ourselves can be the hardest thing to do at times, yet it is essential. The love we show ourselves and the standards we set up for ourselves, act as a guide for how we are to be loved and cared for by the people in our lives. As Gautam Buddha, once said, " You can search throughout the entire universe for someone more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.” We are frequently so hard on ourselves that we forget to show ourselves the love we so desperately need and deserve.

Emmy Louseaman, Childhood Trauma Specialist, Coach, and Educator, shared tips to apply the five love languages to self-love, in her Instagram post.

1. Words of affirmation: Think self-love

• Practice daily positive affirmations: Our thoughts precede our emotions and behaviours.

• Recite mantras that encourage self-compassion. Bring your focus to taking care of yourself.

• Keep a gratitude journal that includes your positive attributes as well as your strengths. Keep track of everything you achieve, feel proud of, act morally, and enjoy about yourself.

• Be optimistic in your self-talk. Be your best coach or cheerleader by turning down the volume on your inner critic.

2. Acts of service: Do self-love

• Prepare healthy meals for yourself. Spend time and effort planning your meals and going grocery shopping.

• Create an organized, clean home environment for yourself. Even on a tight budget, enjoy where you call home.

• Plan routine examinations for your physical and mental well-being. If you have any health issues, take care of them right away. Without your health, you have nothing.

• Groom yourself with love and care. Make sure you look your best so that you can feel like the lovely person you are.

3. Receiving gifts: Absorb self-love

• Buy only what you love. Don't allow things in your home and closet that don't bring you positive vibrations.

• Invest in your education knowledge. Got a course you want to join in? Perhaps gift yourself the course, or invest in books.

• Choose an item from your bucket list to explore and experience.

• Reward yourself for an achievement, maybe there's something you've always wanted to get yourself, but the time was never right. Maybe now is the time.

4. Quality Time: Be present with self-love

• Set aside time for daily mindfulness practices such as meditation, and breathing. You can communicate with your higher self with the aid of these devotions.

• Schedule leisure activities and interests. An essential component of appreciating the gift of life is making time for fun and enjoyment.

• Give sleep and exercise first priority. Your physical body needs to be refreshed.

• Avoid overloading your schedule, calendar, or commitments.

5. Physical touch: Feel self-love

• Stretch your muscles and give yourself a massage with a foam roller. Relax into your body.

• Release toxins by taking a hot bath with salts. Release the stress and soak in the love.

• Moisturize your skin with lotions or oils. As you touch your skin, thank each body part for all it does for you.

• Give yourself a spa treatment: manicure, pedicure, facial, deep conditioning treatment, etc. Know you are worth extraordinary care.

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