Posted: by Jo Saturday, 8 January 2022 @ 16:52
After the last couple of years we have had, it is understandable to still feel anxious and impatient about looking forward positively. So – be kind to yourself. Practise self-love, and put your own emotional needs first, to give you strength. Here are my mantras for self-love and self-care:
After a tough few years, many of us feel in need of a recharge. It’s hard to sleep well and relax deeply, when we have had so much to worry about. But we need to find a way to recover our energy and reclaim our enthusiasm for life, after such challenging circumstances. Work out what it is that you need, and try to find space and time in your life for it.
Breathing is fundamental to life, and is something we all learn to do from the first second we emerge from the womb. But over time, we forget to breathe deeply enough and slowly enough, to really energise our bodies and slow down our heart rate. Take the time to slow down, be still, and breathe deeply, whenever you feel stressed or rushed – just for a few moments. It will help you connect with that stillness inside you, and bring a sense of calm.
Remind yourself that you are in control of your own wellbeing, to a very great extent. The food we eat, the exercise we do, how much we drink, how well we sleep, what we spend our time thinking about – all of this has a huge impact on our wellbeing. Take gentle steps to improve your physical and emotional wellbeing, by making positive choices this year.
A really important message of self-love and self-acceptance: you are enough, just as you are. You are good enough, strong enough, clever enough, whatever enough – just exactly as you are right now. You don’t need to change, or look for external validation. You have just as much right as anyone else to be here on this earth, so embrace and celebrate who you are right now.
Another brilliant mantra for self-acceptance, self-respect and self-love: I celebrate the woman I am. I don’t need to change. I don’t need to be like you, or like her, or like them. I don’t need to live up to anyone else’s expectations of me, or fit into a conventional box. I am happy as I am, and I celebrate that.
This
is a great mantra if you are single, or if you feel you need someone else to
complete you. Look deeply inside yourself, to find out what you need to be
happy – and then, be that for yourself. You need love, compassion, kindness?
Great – you can be kind and compassionate to yourself. You need adventure and
excitement? Great – plan some activities for when you have time and budget. You need
intellectual stimulation? Great – download some interesting books, subscribe to
a magazine, find a book club. So much is within our own grasp, if we
just take the initiative.
Try to let go of
expectations this year. Be open to what life brings you, and welcome the
outcome, whatever happens. The road to peace of mind and happiness is to let go
of trying to manage everything and control what happens to us in life. Embrace
the unknown, and just enjoy the experience.
Maybe right now, trips to
spas and a deep tissue massage aren’t within our budget. But a hot bath by
candlelight, a walk in the countryside, a quiet hour to read a book, a meet-up with a friend, a lie-in at the weekend, or a craft session with the kids –
maybe these small things can make a difference to us. Don’t crave the big stuff
right now – look for the little luxuries of time and space that will help you
flourish. And prioritise them, this month.
Have the last two years changed you? This mantra celebrates change within ourselves, not just out in the world. Forgive yourself if you feel you have changed for the worst – it’s been a challenging couple of years. But know that you are continually evolving – and the end of the crisis brings the chance to re-evaluate once again. For now - be kind to yourself and recognise that stress can make us all behave differently.
Let's be excited about the year ahead of us, as it is a chance to
put the challenges of 2020 and 2021 behind us, and move forwards positively.
Jo xx
