5 simple ways to practice self love
Go all-natural (aka tech-free)
(And no, we're not just talking about your skincare and deodorant) Try spending a full day without technology. Yes, we know how easy it is to turn on that show you’re currently binge watching but spending some quality time offline is very necessary - especially when our work bleeds a little too much into our personal lives these days. Some of the most successful people in the world are known for their sacred nighttime routines where all technology is shut down by 6 or 7pm and they wind down by reading a book or taking a candlelit bath instead.
On your time off of work, put yourself in the mindset of taking a vacation. Don’t allow yourself to feel plagued by guilt thinking about all the “productive” things you could be doing on your time off - instead, reframe your off-time as being productive precisely because you are decompressing and giving yourself time to relax.
Break up with anything that isn't serving you
This season doesn’t have to just be about love for someone else - it is equally, if not more, about love for yourself. Sometimes self-love and respect comes with a little bit of tough love on the things that aren’t really working for you. If you are still using a deodorant that comes in a plastic container, it’s time to break up with it for a more zero-waste alternative. It’s just one simple swap you can make in your daily routine that will reduce your waste and carbon footprint. But beyond deodorant, we are here to remind you to that in 2021, anything that isn’t really serving you/ the version of you that is living to their fullest potential, has got to go. 2020 allowed us to re-evaluate a lot of aspects of our lives, so let’s not throw that all away by not living up to our vision-board selves in 2021.
Write yourself a love letter
We love getting love letters from you about our products so why not share the love with yourself? With social media often causing us to be hyper-critical of ourselves, it can become hard to look at yourself and notice the positives instead of the negatives. It can feel silly, but tell yourself out loud what you like about yourself, or write it down in a letter. But be gentle! We are often our own toughest critics so doing a self-love exercise like this every so often can help us rewire our brain to see the positive aspects of ourselves instead of the negatives.
Declutter your life
“The best way to figure out what we really need is to get rid of what we don’t” - Marie Kondo. Chances are you have likely heard of Marie Kondo and her legendary KonMari Method of tidying up and taking inventory on all the things we own and seeing if they “spark joy” for us or not. Take a more intentional approach to the things you own and products you use. If you aren’t inspired by the space you are living in, get inspired! Inspiration is all around us with Pinterest, YouTube, and home improvement shows. A small area that can have a lot of impact on your day-to-day life is your bathroom. When you look at your shelves or cabinets in your bathroom, do you feel excited for the day? An easy solution for that is to make your bathroom storage/ shelves look nice - whether it is buying uniquely packaged skincare goods or putting some temporary wallpaper up, if you’re lacking some inspiration it may be time for a little renovation.
Get real rest
Are your under eye bags starting to look more like luggage for an extended vacation? No matter how much we believe in the natural collagen boosting powers of our Hibiscus and Rose Face Serum, those under eye bags aren't ever going to go away if you're not getting proper sleep. Sleep is the penultimate form of self-love and care because of how truly restorative a good night’s sleep is. Whether you are staying up too late from watching tv or scrolling through your feeds, there are a few ways you can boost your sleep habits:
Invest in a pair of blue-light blocking glasses - these can be a lifesaver if you spend a majority of your day looking at a computer. The blue light from our devices can cause eye-fatigue but also be disruptive to our natural circadian rhythm (aka cause you to stay up later than normal).
Try doing a body scan to fall asleep faster - this is actually a tool employed by Navy Seals believe it or not to help them fall asleep. This exercise entails laying down (like when you’re about to fall asleep at night) and start by bringing your awareness to the furthest tip of your toes, almost as though a mental spotlight were shining on them. Notice how they feel and take a note of any pain or discomfort, or lack thereof. Then try to relax just that body part - don’t think about it too hard because then you might not be relaxing at all. Slowly make your way up your body, pausing at each new area of the body to take stock in how it feels and relax it. Sooner or later you will reach the crown of your head and can breathe into your fully relaxed “scanned” body.
End the day taking stock of what you feel grateful for - practicing gratitude is a trademark characteristic of some of the happiest people. It can be as easy as taking mental note of what you were thankful for that day, or you could also keep a consistent gratitude journal. Reflecting on the good, instead of the bad, can catalyze a pattern in our brain where we begin to only really see the good in our lives and selves.
