Ready for challenge eight?
Can you believe we are already on challenge eight? For eight full weeks you have been challenging yourself, putting yourself out of your comfort zone and trying new things. You should be proud of the work you have done and the progress you have made towards better health. After all this hard work it is time to take a deep breath and thank yourself. Much of the time we go through our day never once reflecting on ourselves and the amazing things that we can do.
For this week’s challenge I want you to work on loving yourself and if you already have a strong self-worth I want you to love yourself even more. Practicing self-love can look like many different things. Below are 10 ideas tohelp you get started. Select at least one of these ideas to work on this week and then over the course of the next few weeks work your way through the list. I know this is a one-week challenge but self-love is such a huge part of personal development, growth and healing that it is something we should give continued focus and effort. The payoff is huge!
Ideas to Help You Practice Self Love
- Nourish your body with healthy foods and habits. Eat foods that you know will make you thrive and make your body and mind perform at their optimal level.
- Forgive yourself and others. If there are things you are holding onto from the past let them go. Forgiving does not make the wrong right. What it does do is it releases sadness, anger and resentment which allows for us to start enjoying the present moment. Sometimes we think holding onto our upset punishes whomever hurt us but the reality is it punishes us much more.
- Quite your inner critic. When a negative thought about yourself pops in your head tell it to be quiet, refuse to believe it and change that negative thought into a positive one.
- Stop comparing yourself to others. This can be hard due to the social media world we live in. It is so hard not to look at others images and believe their life is as perfect as it appears on screen. Know they are only showing you an edited version of their real life.
- Celebrate every single win. Big and small! Recognize your accomplishments.
- Embrace the things that make you unique. Each of us are amazingly special and have gifts and a unique perspective to offer this world. Being you instead of someone else is where it is at!
- Be grateful! Start and end each day by reflecting on at least one thing you are thankful for.
- Set boundaries and say no. This is a hard one and something I have personally struggled with my entire life. But, the more I have made improvements in this area the happier I become. My recommendation is to really listen to your inner yes and no and then stick with what our gut is telling us. We intuitively know the answer.
- Accept compliments with grace. When a friend or stranger compliments you, say thank you and truly receive it. We are so conditioned to feel embarrassed or to downplay a compliment. Be open to receiving it and realize that the person who complimented you is not being forced to say something nice about you. They wanted to tell you what they told you. Also, consider that when you respond in a positive way you are making them feel good as well.
- Do something you love or something that makes you feel special. Get your hair done, get a massage, take a bath or do something creative like painting or creating a vision board. Whatever you love, do more of it!
Ready, Set, Go…. Challenge Time
The first step is to set up your free account on healthstorylines.com if you have not already.
Challenge Eight Instructions:
1. Select 1 or a few of the ideas above and practice them this week. Or, if you have other ideas feel free to use one of your own!
2. In the journal section of the Health Storylines app record an example of how you practiced what you selected each day. Journal about what the experience was and how it made you feel both physically and mentally. On the last day of the challenge reflect on the entire week and the growth you experienced.
4. If you feel comfortable and want to share post a screenshot of your journal entry about practicing self love with your social media audience and use hashtag #wholelovleylifeselflove on your Instagram, Instagram Stories or Facebook so we can engage with each other’s posts. And, if you are ok with it (I will get your permission first) I will repost on my Instagram Stories.
Let’s continue to inspire each other!
If you need any help using the Health Story Lines app check out this amazing video!
If you missed my earlier challenges you will find them here!
