14 Ways to Start Practicing Self-Love

February is a month full of romantic love and pressures to show our loved ones how much they mean to us. However, it should also be a time of self-love.

We have busy schedules and hectic days and so much going on in our lives, and we are so busy prioritizing others, we often forget to prioritize ourselves.

You are important, beautiful, and special, and it’s about time that you start treating yourself like that. Start investing some more time into yourself and your overall happiness.

Do yourself a favor and start practicing some of the following self-love tips:

1. Start your day with some positive affirmations - The best way to start your day and get into a habit of being kinder to yourself and loving you is to start with throwing some positivity your way. 
2. Celebrate wins, big and small - There are so many times that we accomplish goals. Some are huge, and others are little. It’s essential to be your own cheerleader and encourage yourself, so pat yourself on the back and recognize all those things you’re doing right.  
3. Step outside your comfort zone and try something new - There is a big world out there full of new things to try and new paths to explore.
4. Realize beauty isn’t definable - Media globally shows unrealistic beauty standards full of photoshopped images. Don’t let those falsified images impact your relationship with your body, because it’s incredible!
5. Find things to be grateful for - Typically, when we are down on ourselves, we tend to view everything in a more negative light. Try to challenge yourself to look for all the good things occurring in your daily life, big and small. 
6. Write everything you’re feeling down - A great way to let everything out that is hurting you or is just nagging at you and on your mind is to write it all out. Get a journal that you only use to write down everything you are thinking and feeling. It’s going to release those thoughts spinning around in your head into a physical journal. 
7. Stop making comparisons - There is no one else like you on this Earth, so you should stop trying to compare yourself to those who aren’t like you. The only comparison you should be making: are you better than you were yesterday?
8. Get creative and give yourself outlets to express yourself - There’s a lot of different ways to express yourself. You can draw, paint, journal, make music, sculpt, whatever you like. It’s nice to have an outlet to let your creative juices flow. 
9. Embrace and love what makes you different - As cliché as it sounds, the world would be incredibly dull if everyone was the same. There are so many things that make you unique and stand out from the rest. Start being proud about what makes you special!
10. Give yourself 10 minutes every day to be alone - It’s good to have some time just to yourself every day, so just take a breather, reflect on the day, or meditate. This will allow you to refocus your energies or center yourself when you are having a tough day. 
11. Fill your body with nourishing foods and drinks - Not only is it essential to focus on having a positive mindset, but it’s also vital that we are taking care of our bodies. Make sure you are providing your body with plenty of nutrients that you need to function correctly. 
12. Move your body - Moving your body and burning some calories is great for helping relieve some stress and anxiety. 
13. Treat yourself to a spa day - Take care of yourself! Book a massage, get your nails done. If that’s not in the budget right now, draw yourself a hot bath and put on a relaxing face mask. It’s never selfish to take care of yourself and get some well-deserved me-time. 
14. Don’t believe everything that you think - We are our own worst enemy and harshest critic. Don’t allow yourself to beat yourself down and think thoughts that are skewed by your critiques.  

You are amazing! Don’t forget to treat yourself accordingly.