I don’t need to mention what happens when you stop going to the gym. When you stop working on your muscles, they shrink and go away. When you stop paying attention to your physical body and supporting it with the movement it needs to be strong, it gives you nice little signs to call your attention and remind you. These signs could be in the form of aches, pains, or your clothes not fitting. Inevitably it’s that something” that will jar you into saying “HOLY Crap, I feel like crap”.
Think of self love as a muscle too. One that can grow with training and attention. If you don’t pay attention, this muscle is brutal. It’ll do all kinds of things to get you to listen.
The easiest of which is a simple feeling of blah. There are many levels of pain it will cause you. It doesn’t discriminate on the area. It can affect your relationships, your career, your body. A weak self-love muscle can make it so nothing you search for outside of yourself will make you feel better. It’ll literally drive you nuts. Unless and until you pay some attention to this self love muscle, you’ll stay in some form of self-inflicted pain. If you are currently feeling lost, disconnected, frustrated, unhappy please be grateful because you just got a warning sign. These signs are your self love muscle doing it’s job – calling your attention to the matter and asking for you to come on back and do some loving work on Self. You must change the way you think in order to change the way you feel.
How do you do that you ask? It can be simple and all you need to do is start. Here are 3 simple but power-filled daily exercises that work your self love muscle. A little at a time. Doing them will help you feel better in all areas of life everyday.
Doing something everyday creates a daily ritual. Being ritualistic about something you want to change is a good thing. Because it creates consistency. And that will start a new habit.
“It’s what you do most of the time that matters.”
Since you most likely already eat three square meals, morning, noon and night, it will be an easy reminder. Incorporate these 3 new ideas and take one at each meal.
Three square practices. Morning. Noon. Night.
- Morning: Glance.
A glance in the mirror with a “Hello Gorgeous” greeting to self. Come on! You can do this. Pick one thing that you like about your face and compliment that. Is it your gorgeous eyes, your lips, your skin, your hair? Say “Hello Gorgeous” and mean it. If this feels a little awkward or uncomfortable in the beginning – then act as if you mean it (just for now). “Fake it till you make it” (reality).
- Noon: Grace.
Before you just rush through a lunch in between meetings or other activities, take one minute to consciously bless the beautiful food that you take into your beautiful body. Appreciate and acknowledge that you are mindfully choosing the best for today to nourish and treat yourself well. Say “thank you” to everyone & everything that made this moment possible. From your higher power, to the sun, to the water, to the earth & plants, to the person who prepared it, or checked you out at the register.
- Night: Gratitude.
Even if it’s been a long day, and you might feel exhausted, before closing your eyes and drifting off, take a moment to focus, remember, acknowledge and record in a journal the 5 things that you are grateful for from your amazing day. Don’t judge the size of the things. All things are appreciated. You may even ask yourself some thought provoking questions as you wind down for the evening: “What have I given today?”, “What did I learn today?”.
Remember that this is a big huge gift you give to the people who you love and to the world. Being the best you can be and continuing to grow better and better with selflove is the key That’s all it is. It’s just you being you. The real you. Existing in “just okay” serves no one well. The world needs you to tap into your awesome and share it. So step it up and step in. This love of self is an art and a practice.
When you get into the habit of doing these 3 simple little things, big amazing things will start to happen. You can do this! Start today and do it for 7 days. Then add another 7 days.
Psst… the best part of all of this is as you fill up on self-love, it will overflow onto everyone you meet.
Rosie Battista is a Spiritual Concierge, Author, Life & Business Strategist. Text 908-872-8613 to schedule group classes or private dialogue to get yourself unstuck.