Self-Love is the complete acceptance of who you are. It encompasses you as a whole...the parts of you that make up your mind, body and soul. Without self-love life can leave you feeling depleated, unmotivated, unappreciated, unworthy. Here are a couple of the reasons why Self-Love can save your soul.
1. I am Strong & Brave
Self-love makes you a stronger and much braver person. It helps you open certain doors that you’ve kept shut for many years. It gives you the courage to become who you want to be. It boosts your confidence and eventually convinces you that being imperfectly perfect just as you are in this moment is okay....you are enough.
2. I am worthy of being treated with respect
Self-love helps you with all of those hard lessons in life. Self-love does not let you torture your soul on relationships that are not good for you. It does not tell you to keep giving second and third chances to people who don’t even deserve to be looked in the eye. Self-love does not make you heartless. It helps you realize that your emotional and physical wellbeing should always be on top of your priority list.
3. I forgive myself
We need to accept our human-ness & know that we all make mistakes. You know that thing you did one time that made you feel bad, embarrassed, ashamed? It’s time to let that go. You can’t change the things you have done in the past but you can control your future. Forgiving yourself is a big part of Self-Love and helping you to show up for your life in a positive and meaningful way.
Did you want to learn more of why self-love is so important? Here are 3 more ways you can cultivate more self-love in your life.
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Gratitude is something that always comes to the forefront of peoples minds this time of year...but how many of us practice being grateful all throughout the year?
The benefits of practicing gratitude are nearly endless. When we practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reflect upon the things we're thankful for allows us to experience more positive emotions, feel more alive, sleep better, express more compassion and kindness, and even have stronger immune systems. We dont need to save gratitude for only momentous occasions: Sure, you might express gratitude after receiving a promotion at work, but you can also be thankful for something as simple as a delicious piece of cake. I have been keeping a gratitude journal for the past couple years—I regularly write brief reflections on moments for which I'm grateful for - and I have noticed a big shift in how I show up for my life. But I know what your thinking...this motivation lasts about three days until writing down gratitudes every evening loses out to watching Netflix.
Here are a few things I’ve discovered that help not only to start a gratitude practice, but to make it a part of your routine.
1. Freshen Up Your Thanks
Notice new things you’re grateful for every day. Gratitude journaling works because it slowly changes the way we perceive situations by adjusting what we focus on. While you might always be thankful for your great family, just writing “I’m grateful for my family” week after week doesn’t keep your brain on alert for fresh grateful moments. Get specific by writing “Today my husband brought me breakfast and coffee in bed when he knew I needed to rest” or "My friend invited me over for dinner so I didn't have to cook after a long day." And be sure to stretch yourself beyond the great stuff right in front of you. Opening your eyes to more of the world around you can deeply enhance your gratitude practice. Make a game out of noticing new things each day.
2. Get Real About Your Gratitude Practice
Being excited about the benefits of gratitude can be a great thing because it gives us the kick we need to start making changes. But if our excitement about sleeping better because of our newfound gratitude keeps us from anticipating how tired we’ll be tomorrow night when we attempt to journal, we’re likely to lose focus. When we want to achieve a goal, using the technique of mental contrasting—being optimistic about the benefits of a new habit while also being realistic about how difficult building the habit may be – leads us to exert more effort. Recognize and plan for the obstacles that may get in the way. For instance, if you tend to be exhausted at night, accept that it might not be the best time to focus for a few extra minutes and schedule your gratitude in the morning instead.
3. Make Thankfulness Fun By Mixing It Up
Don’t limit yourself—if journaling is feeling stale, try out new and creative ways to track your grateful practices. Maybe create a gratitude jar. Any time you experience a moment of gratitude, write it on a piece of paper and put it in a jar. On New Year’s Eve, empty the jar and review everything you wrote. When a good thing happens, “That’s one for the gratitude jar!” It immediately makes the moment more meaningful and keeps you on the lookout for more.
Want to learn more about how gratitude can re-wire your brain and help you to love your imperfectly perfect self? Want to gain gratitude for your body and all that it does for you without losing a pound? Lets find your magic in my 8 week program.
Want to join my free group where women empower eachother to love their imperfectly perfect selves just the way they are in this moment?
I need to be honest...sometimes I slip out of my self-care routine. I find myself feeling "off" & once I take a look at how I have been taking care of myself I realize I have been slacking. I then try to remind myself of my human-ness and that I am imperfectly perfect just the way I am. And so it is...so I get back up and try again. I have realized that there are 3 key areas that help to keep our self-care routine in check. Self-care doesn’t come naturally to many of us, especially when our to-do lists are overflowing with requests from other people. You might not feel like you have the time or the energy to make it happen, so it falls to the bottom of your priority list. This happens to me more times than I am willing to admit...lol.
In this post, I’m sharing what those three habits are and how you can make them a priority. Keep reading so you can figure out what needs to change so you can make self-care easier for yourself!
The Three Essential Habits Of Self-Care
I believe there are three key habits or behaviors that make a huge impact on your relationship with self-care. If you think you’re bad at self-care or you’ve fallen out of your usual habits, it could be that you’re neglecting one of these elements.
The three key habits are:
- Boundaries
- Self-discipline
- Consistency
Let’s be real, working on these habits is NOT fun. Not once has someone said that boundaries, self-discipline, or consistency are fun. They’re not, and that’s why it’s so hard to practice them. But if you work on improving them, life becomes more fun because you can create more time and energy for the things that matter to you.
I believe there are three key habits or behaviors that make a huge impact on your relationship with self-care. If you think you’re bad at self-care or you’ve fallen out of your usual habits, it could be that you’re neglecting one of these elements.
The three key habits are:
- Boundaries
- Self-discipline
- Consistency
Let’s be real, working on these habits is NOT fun. Not once has someone said that boundaries, self-discipline, or consistency are fun. They’re not, and that’s why it’s so hard to practice them. But if you work on improving them, life becomes more fun because you can create more time and energy for the things that matter to you.
How To Cultivate These Habits
Now that you understand the importance of these habits, here’s how to cultivate them:
1. Set Boundaries
To get a better sense of your boundaries in life, consider what kind of behavior you will and will not tolerate from other people. If late night email requests from your co-worker are causing you to lose sleep, you are in charge of setting (and communicating) a boundary to prevent this. No one else is going to do this for you.
Also think about your non-negotiables. These are the things you consider when making plans (for example, family, work, friends, wellness, etc.). Decide how much time you want to dedicate to these aspects of your life. If requests or invites from others can’t fit around these things, say no.
Now that you understand the importance of these habits, here’s how to cultivate them:
1. Set Boundaries
To get a better sense of your boundaries in life, consider what kind of behavior you will and will not tolerate from other people. If late night email requests from your co-worker are causing you to lose sleep, you are in charge of setting (and communicating) a boundary to prevent this. No one else is going to do this for you.
Also think about your non-negotiables. These are the things you consider when making plans (for example, family, work, friends, wellness, etc.). Decide how much time you want to dedicate to these aspects of your life. If requests or invites from others can’t fit around these things, say no.
2. Practice Self-Discipline
Self-discipline is all about removing temptations. If you’re scrolling through Instagram late at night when you said you’d go to bed at a reasonable time (sleep is self-care, my friends!), you are not practicing self-discipline. Instead, put your phone across the room, turn it off, or delete Instagram.
Do whatever you can to reduce or remove temptations so you can prove to yourself that you are in control. If you want to get better at self-discipline, you have to remove the temptations and distractions that cause you to let your goals and intentions slide.
Self-discipline is all about removing temptations. If you’re scrolling through Instagram late at night when you said you’d go to bed at a reasonable time (sleep is self-care, my friends!), you are not practicing self-discipline. Instead, put your phone across the room, turn it off, or delete Instagram.
Do whatever you can to reduce or remove temptations so you can prove to yourself that you are in control. If you want to get better at self-discipline, you have to remove the temptations and distractions that cause you to let your goals and intentions slide.
3. Be Consistent
Consistency happens when you take small, incremental steps to make a certain action a habit. Instead of trying to change all of your habits at once, start by setting one self-care goal for yourself and work on sticking to it. For example, if your self-care goal is to workout for 30 minutes every day, start by building your self-discipline up in this area.
Set yourself up for success, remove temptations, and reward yourself so that you continue to make it a habit. Use a trigger such as ‘I will workout for 30 minutes after I get out of bed’ so that you know exactly when you’ll do it. Self-discipline plays a huge role in how consistent you are with your actions, so continue to work on building your self-discipline around your habits and priorities.
Consistency happens when you take small, incremental steps to make a certain action a habit. Instead of trying to change all of your habits at once, start by setting one self-care goal for yourself and work on sticking to it. For example, if your self-care goal is to workout for 30 minutes every day, start by building your self-discipline up in this area.
Set yourself up for success, remove temptations, and reward yourself so that you continue to make it a habit. Use a trigger such as ‘I will workout for 30 minutes after I get out of bed’ so that you know exactly when you’ll do it. Self-discipline plays a huge role in how consistent you are with your actions, so continue to work on building your self-discipline around your habits and priorities.
I hope these 3 habits that we explored will help you to establish a healthy and consistent self-care routine! I know that I will be taking a look at my personal self-care routine & adjusting where I need to.
I would love it if you joined my FREE group where women empower each other to love their imperfectly perfect selves. If this is something you might be interested...click on the link below:
join us!
I also have a 8 week program where I coach you through your journey to self-love. If you find yourself hating your body...I have ways that have worked personally for me to love myself...exactly as I am...without losing a pound!
Let's find your magic!
join us!
I also have a 8 week program where I coach you through your journey to self-love. If you find yourself hating your body...I have ways that have worked personally for me to love myself...exactly as I am...without losing a pound!
Let's find your magic!
See you all next week for another post on "Weekly Wellness"
Sending you love and light
Martina
Legs Up the Wall Pose (or Viparita Karani) is a restorative yoga pose that allows the mind and the body to relax, relieving stress and tension. It is one of the most approachable yoga poses as it doesn’t require much flexibility or strength. But even though it’s a passive pose, its benefits are pretty amazing. Here are some reasons why I think you should be doing this lose everyday!
1. RelaxationThe semi-supine aspect of the pose combined with controlled breathing leads to a slowing down within your body. This exhibits itself in a lowered heart rate which elicits a relaxation response and, in turn, helps lower anxiety, stress and insomnia.
2. Increases circulation. Elevating the legs promotes drainage from excess fluid build-up. In addition, gravity assists circulation by facilitating the return of blood back to the heart.
3. Soothes swollen or cramped feet and legsInverting the legs/feet has long been known as an effective treatment for reducing swelling and pain in the lower extremities. This can be therapeutic after flying, physical activity or from the detrimental effects of sitting/standing during the day.
4. Stretches the hamstrings and lower back. The angle of the body reduces the curve of the lumbar spine, which will elongate and stretch the back muscles. The closer your hips are to the wall, the more stretch you'll create in your hamstrings.
5. Relieves lower back tension. Pressure is released from the spine in a supine position (especially on a bed or cushion), relieving the back from mild strain.
TIPS:
- Try not to bring the body to a full 90 degree angle as this can impede circulation at the hips. Instead slide your hips a few inches from the wall and/or elevate your hips by placing a cushion under your sacrum.
- Make any adjustments to facilitate a more relaxing space-- maybe place a pillow under your head, or let your arms rest on your belly or out to the sides.
- Focus on your breath: Take a deep, slowly inhale through your nose and a deep, slow exhale through your nose.
- Try to stay in the pose for at least 5 minutes for optimal benefits.
Want a free 15 minute legs up the wall sequence? Click the link below:
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Self-Esteem effects all areas of our life. If we are unable to show up for life with that health self-esteem, its becomes a pattern that is hard to change. Whether you are trying to land that dream job, create better relationships with friends and family, or starting a new career...a boost of self-esteem will allow you to follow your dreams and be successful in all areas of your life! Let's go over my 5 top ways to boost your self-esteem.
1. Take a 2 minute self-appreciation break.
If you can spend just two minutes every day for a month then it can make huge difference. Take a deep breath, slow down and ask yourself this question: what are 3 things I can appreciate about myself?
Say 3 things to yourself, write it down or tell a friend. These short breaks do not only build self-esteem in the long run but can also turn a negative mood around and reload you with a lot of positive energy again.
If you can spend just two minutes every day for a month then it can make huge difference. Take a deep breath, slow down and ask yourself this question: what are 3 things I can appreciate about myself?
Say 3 things to yourself, write it down or tell a friend. These short breaks do not only build self-esteem in the long run but can also turn a negative mood around and reload you with a lot of positive energy again.
2. Be your own best friend
When you are having a bad day or moment.. Instead of beating yourself up, ask yourself: How would my best friend support me and help me in this situation? Then do things and talk to yourself like he or she would. Being kind to ourselves and showing us the same kindness that our friends show us...create this positive energy that allows us to turn negative situations or experiences into positive ones.
3. KINDNESS PEOPLE!
When you are kinder towards others you tend to treat and think of yourself in a kinder way too. And the way you treat other people is how they tend to treat you in the long run. So focus on being kind in your daily life. I have noticed that kindness is the answer to many of life's problems...so if you can be anything...BE KIND!
When you are kinder towards others you tend to treat and think of yourself in a kinder way too. And the way you treat other people is how they tend to treat you in the long run. So focus on being kind in your daily life. I have noticed that kindness is the answer to many of life's problems...so if you can be anything...BE KIND!
4. Stop comparing!
Comparing yourself to others always ends up in feeling worse than better. There is always someone who has more or is better than you at something in the world. There are always people ahead of you.
So let's replace that habit with something better. Look at how far you have come so far instead. Compare yourself to yourself. Focus on you. On your results. And on how you can and how you have improved your results. You can only control how you show up your life & work on improving yourself, so stop caring so much about other peoples success and allow yourself to work on YOU!
So let's replace that habit with something better. Look at how far you have come so far instead. Compare yourself to yourself. Focus on you. On your results. And on how you can and how you have improved your results. You can only control how you show up your life & work on improving yourself, so stop caring so much about other peoples success and allow yourself to work on YOU!
5. You are Imperfectly Perfect...just the way you are in this moment!
Trying to always be perfect can paralyze you from taking action because you become so afraid of not living up to some standard. And so you procrastinate and you do not get the results you want. This will make your self-esteem sink. Tell yourself that we are all imperfect, we all have flaws & we can only know that our imperfect selves are good enough & can achieve the things we set out do to in our lives. You are enough. just the way you are. Say that again like you mean it!
What do I do now…
Listen to my video on my ways to boost your self-esteem
i need a boost
“This is really helpful information. But what’s the easiest way to put this into practice and actually make a real change with my self-esteem?”.
Listen to my video on my ways to boost your self-esteem
i need a boost
“This is really helpful information. But what’s the easiest way to put this into practice and actually make a real change with my self-esteem?”.
I am here to help!
If you are looking for a group of women who empower each other to love their imperfectly perfect selves...join my free group.
If you would like to be able to say you love your self exactly as you are in this moment & what if I told you that you could achieve this without even losing a pound? Let's go find your magic in my program (which is half-off by the way). We journal, meditate and do yoga. We inspire, connect and empower each other. It's pure magic you guys!
Let's find your magic
Let's find your magic
