How to Practice Self Love daily
Learning to love yourself is one of the hardest things as a human. If you grew up in a challenging situation or had people in your life that spoke things over you that were not true or rude, it is hard to remove yourself from those stories in your mind. Ephesians 4:29-32 tells us “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” and Romans 12:14 & 18 “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
I would like to offer here that those verses include how you talk and think about yourself also. We often take the things others have said to us or about us and replay those narratives over and over in our minds and believe that they are true. God’s word commands us to get rid of all that and renew your mind. Bless those who persecute you (including yourself) and live at peace. God has forgiven you and loves you so much that he gave his son for you. When you confess your sins and accept his love and forgiveness, you are a new creation in him and you have peace. Isaiah 26:3 says “You, Lord, give perfect peace to those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” So it is up to us to renew our minds and live at peace with ourselves and others. I offer these ways to practice self love daily:
take time to rest
Rest can look different for everyone. If you are a busy person with a jam packed schedule rest may look like slowing down for an intentional amount of time. If you are a person that does not live on a schedule it might be restful for you to do the opposite and write out a morning routine where you spend time focusing on specific tasks. Rest can literally be napping, it can be taking time to craft or be creative, it may come from being authentic in connection with others. You may practice meditation, stretching or yoga. Rest may be not turning on any electronics or taking time in nature. Rest might be a cup of tea or coffee and a good book or a hike in woods. I encourage you to assess how your normal day looks and define what would bring you rest. Often it will be the opposite of your normal rhythm, but something that brings you joy.
Spend time reading God’s word
To renew your mind fill it with God’s word. The Bible is full of letters and testimonies of God’s love for us and who he says he is and who he says we are. When fighting to love yourself it is often easier to want others to love you than to love yourself. So I encourage you to start reading God’s word and take in how much he loves you. Start identifying the lies that are on repeat in your mind and take them captive. Begin to replace those lies with the truth of God’s word. When you learn to read the Bible, the verses will begin to come to mind when you need them and the Holy Spirit will speak to you by bringing words to your heart from the Bible.
journal
Writing in a journal does not have to be overwhelming. You can just write down the lies and write out a truth that you are replacing it with in your heart and mind. You can write yourself a love letter each day. You can write out your scripture that you read and a thought or two you had about it when you spent time in God’s Word. Your journal could be where you purge everything that the day had. Writing things down gets it out of your head. Renew your mind. Write down things that you are thankful for or that you love about yourself. However you choose to journal, just do what works for you.
pray
When I pray, I talk like I am speaking with my best friend, my father, and my loved one, someone I trust deeply. I believe that I am speaking with someone who is loyal and loving. I am speaking to my God who loves me so completely. I come and bring my concerns, let my heart cry out, sometimes I am mad, sometimes I am sad, joyful, thankful, excited, and sometimes it is all at the same time and so much more. I bring my weakness and failure to him as well as my celebrations and hope. Prayer is the way I connect directly to my Heavenly Father. When I connect to his love and compassion it is a reminder that I am worthy of being loved.
If you are interested in creating habits around daily self love, I created a free download for you.
Be Blessed,
