Every morning brings with it a blank slate. The opportunity to try again and do things differently. If you fell short on your goal (s) the day before, a new day brings another shot at getting it right. Sometimes we get caught up in the all or nothing thinking barrier. Where we either do everything perfectly or nothing at all. An example of this would be a person who is trying to eat healthy. A coworker comes by, offers them a cupcake, and they eat it. The all or nothing person would say, I already messed up, I might as well eat whatever I want for the rest of the day and start again tomorrow. The better thing to do would be to enjoy the cupcake and get back on track on your next meal.  

It is hard to cultivate self-love when you keep putting yourself down or shaming yourself. The all or nothing thinking barrier keeps us stuck and leaves us feeling defeated. Even though we know that perfection is unattainable, we keep on striving for it. Why should we practice self-love in our lives? Self-love helps you to feel better about yourself, have more peace, and have a better attitude when unexpected things happen. You are able to adjust more easily and not let one bad thing ruin the rest of your day. At times it might feel hard to practice self-love but eventually new pathways will grow in your brain where the behavior becomes automatic.  

It is tempting to think that the only people who can practice self-love are the ones who don’t have any responsibilities and can dedicate their time to such things. Or that you need to be rich in order to care for yourself. However, this is far from the truth. Self-love is not only about getting pedicures or taking bubble baths every night. Self-love is about doing things that add to your life. Examples of this could be journaling, sipping a cup of your favorite tea, or just spending time looking within yourself. It can also be extending kindness to yourself when you make a mistake.  

Practicing self-love daily can feel like a chore at the beginning. However, there are so many ways to do it. For example, when you are having a bad day or don’t feel that good, you can tell yourself that it is ok to not be smiling all the time. Remember to be patient and kind with yourself. When you have a chance, do things that you love, maybe watch your favorite show, eat delicious food, or light a candle that helps you relax. Self-love is about listening to your body without judging it but understanding that life is tough, and we are all trying to do our best. We want to get things right all the time but sometimes that doesn’t happen even when we try our best. Give yourself the love and acceptance that you seek from others. Only then will you truly find happiness!