A year of self love

Practicing self-love is an ongoing commitment to nourishing the most important relationship we have in our lives: the one with ourselves.

Over this year we’ve looked at different aspects of self-love each month, from positive affirmations, to gratitude, limiting beliefs, meditation and so much more. And wow, it’s finally December! So, this month, we’re wrapping up our year by combining many of the practices shared, so you can create your own self-love routine to do each day.

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? Press snooze and go back to sleep? Grab your phone, scroll through Instagram and check messages? What if, before you gave your energy to anything or anyone outside of yourself, you spent some dedicated time tuning in and pouring love into yourself? By setting some sacred me-time each morning, you give yourself a powerful message right at the start of the day that your wellbeing is a priority. This has such a big impact on how the rest of your day goes. See this as you filling-up your self-love tank, so you will then be more equipped to give to others throughout the rest of the day.

There are many possible components in a morning routine. This is not a one-size-fits-all approach, but rather, a chance to try things out and see what feels best for you. A possible morning self-love routine for you to try could be as follows:

Start with meditation when you wake up (whatever style is best for you and use an app if you need). Remember five minutes a day consistently is better than 30 minutes once a week. So, if meditation is hard for you, start with a shorter time until it becomes a habit.

Next, grab your journal and write three things you’re grateful for. They can be anything, big or small, but doing so raises your energy and vibration right at the start of the day. After expressing gratitude, take a moment to tune in to what you need most that day and find an affirmation that supports that. You can write it down, or say it out loud (for example, “I can speak my truth confidently” if you know you need some encouragement to use your voice that day).

Next, ask yourself: what do I feel today? Release the labels of good or bad, and just write down how you’re feeling. A big part of self-love is about accepting how you are in every moment, even the more difficult times. So acknowledge how you feel each morning, and know that it’s okay, and all is welcomed.

Then ask, what is an intention I can set for myself today? Write it down. Maybe it’s a practical task you want to get done, or maybe it’s something less tangible, like being kind to yourself or listening to your intuition. Going into your day with a clear intention of what you want to be mindful of is what counts.

Give it a try. Change it up as you need, and as the days progress you can add other self-love activities like movement, nourishing food and doing things you love.

Remember, self-love is an ongoing, daily practice with no end point. It is a lifetime dedication to filling yourself up first so you can then create more magic in the world.

Sabi Kerr is a yoga teacher and life coach. It’s her passion to support people in developing deep levels of self-love, so that they can move forwards and create their fullest lives (sabikerr.com)