February is the month of love and the perfect time to love yourself because you should.
You’ve most likely heard the phrase ‘be kind to yourself’ many times and especially during 2020. Trouble is it’s not always easy to follow the advice and let’s be honest last year was anything but normal.
The year we are in (2021) is also topsy turvy and I feel the need to reach out and say those words ‘be kind to yourself’. But. I don’t want it to be just another phrase you hear, and I don’t want to be another voice telling you the obvious. You know this and the importance of self-care already.
Now, February is an important month for us at Sarum. It’s our birthday and over the years we’ve shared upbeat and positives posts to celebrate. Last year I gathered the Sarum troops and together we created twenty-six health and wellbeing tips for you. A blog published with no idea that we were only a few weeks away from lockdown (version 1.0).
This year, writing a celebration blog feels harder. We are all still in a state of flux and while I’m hopeful there remains much uncertainty.
You may have come to realise that I like to focus on the positive in my blog musings. Delivered with a sprinkle of mindfulness and encouragement for taking care of you. So what message do I have for you today, and how can you take ‘be kind to yourself’ to the next level?
Love yourself first
When you’re able to love yourself for warts and all it becomes easier to be in a positive state. It’s YOU saying “I’m worthy of being loved” and accepting of who you are. BUT how do you do this on a daily basis when you might feel surrounded by suffering and finding it hard to be hopeful?
Here are nine ways that I’ve come up with.
- Give yourself the gift of time. Enjoy a leisurely bath, snuggle on the sofa with a good book or watch a film that brings you joy.
- Do one thing to improve your health. Perhaps you could drink more water, which is great for the mind, body and soul.
- Call a loved one. Many of us have felt disconnected from our loved ones over the past few months and this can be easily fixed with a simple call.
- Treat yourself. This doesn’t have to be a big investment. It can be as small as buying that book you’ve been after (taking you back to point one)!
- Say no. Challenging anytime and not just during a pandemic. and easy to fall into helping others, which is wonderful but should not be at the detriment of your own wellbeing.
- Be present. Even the most mundane tasks can give you an opportunity to simply be. For example, being aware of the feel of the water when washing up.
- Practise gratitude. Every day find at least three things to be grateful for, you can do this before getting up or going to bed.
- Wear your best clothes. This might sound silly but what are you saving them for? Best clothes or favourite lipstick – wear them because you are awesome.
- Get a good night sleep. Give yourself permission and go to bed early, in your best sheets (the ones you save for guests) and spray the pillows with lavender.
Loving yourself is you saying I’m worth it and I deserve to be loved. Focusing on you in some small way each day shifts your energy and changes how you feel about yourself (and therefore the environment around you).
It’s not a miracle cure but it is you saying, ‘I’m not allowing what is happening around me to dictate how I feel’. It is you smiling at the world and feeling good, really good; meaning you can be there for others. Loving yourself is a win win.
In the words of Oprah Winfrey…
‘Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.’
Grab this moment, put the lipstick on, hug the dog, wave through the window at your neighbours. Do what makes you feel amazing and love yourself today and every day.
And before I go…. please show us some love and join us on Facebook.
