Self Love & Daily Affirmations
Growing up as a dancer, I was reminded of what my body looked like in the mirror every day. I worked hard to stay in shape, but soon, this became about control and about what others thought of me rather than about feeling good about myself inside and out. I, like many young girls, began to think that my worth was in my body. And so a toxic cycle began.
It’s hard to look in the mirror and not like what you see. And it’s equally hard to like what you see and then feel that you need to show others and get validation from this. The picture posted above was basically that. About a year ago, I had my heart completely shattered. Honestly, I didn’t think I could feel good about myself again without this guy in my life. So, along came the break up workouts and bikini instagram photos. Yup. It happened. And as much as I tried to deny the reasoning, a part of me still needed others to tell me I looked good. Relatable?
Saying “I need to be validated” sounds dramatic and most of us do not admit it to ourselves, even though deep down we know we want others to compliment or praise us. This up and down relationship so many of us have with our bodies is hard.
We want to always look like the instagram perfect version of ourselves that others validate, and we critique ourselves when our bodies change “for the worse”. I have seasons when I have more time to exercise and I feel better and other times when movement is still important, but not necessarily my top priority. And as hard as it is, sometimes, we need to accept that we won’t always look like the times in our lives when we were training the hardest and eating the cleanest.
That is not to say that you should simply drop all your routines and habits on a day when you don’t feel good- that often leads to yo-yo dieting and binge eating. What I am is suggesting, is simply a way to monitor your own thoughts in order to have a happier relationship with food and with yourself! Right now during quarantine, we might not have the energy to run that extra mile or access to the same healthy foods as usual, and it is okay to accept that reality while also balancing what you can control and not giving up on yourself.
So all of this is a lot easier said than done and honestly, I’ve had times when I’ve been at a low and reading blogs about loving yourself no matter what really just makes me more upset.
That is why I have come up with tactical steps that I put into my routine on the good and bad days and wanted to share them for anyone else who may find them useful!
1. Daily Gratitude
Get out of your own head and stop thinking about yourself! I’ve heard a lot of chatter about daily gratitude, gratitude journals, and being thankful for what you have but none of it really stuck with my until I started forcing myself to literally write it down in a journal every day. I have an annoying little reminder on my phone titled “Daily Gratitude” that pops up at 10:30am and reminds me to take out my journal and jot down at least 3 bullet points about what I appreciate in my life. Forming new habits is difficult, so for me the notification on my phone helped so much!
2. Have To’s & Get To’s
A friend of mine suggested doing this a while back and it has been a game changer! By writing out 2 lists of Have To’s and Get To’s every day, I feel 100% more productive, get things done, and appreciate the Get To’s even more. Reminder: Yoga, an ab workout, or a run should always be a Get To not a Have To!
3. Write yourself notes that you would write to your best friend
Without as much social interaction right now, it is so important to keep your head up and remind yourself that you are loved, even though you do not have people. To cheer myself up, I love writing cute little stickie notes or notes in my journal that help encourage me. I force myself to write down what I like about myself and sometimes put little affirmations, encouragements, or quotes.
4. Move Move Move
If you don’t have the energy for a full workout, put on your favorite podcast and walk for 30 min or an hour. During the quarantine, I’ve been finding 1 hour every day to walk around the neighborhood by myself. I love listening to The Health Code or The Porch and spending the time to learn something new, clear my head, and get some fresh air.
