Many of us were taught that it is better to give than to receive. And we may have interpreted this to mean we should keep giving of ourselves even at the expense of our physical, mental, and emotional health. But we can only give love in relationships if we have it available within us. That means we need to take care of ourselves first. We need to support and nurture our body, mind, and spirit so that love can flow fully in all aspects of life.

Giving and receiving are different elements of the same flow of energy in the universe. Just as every exhalation depends upon inhalation, the flow of love in our lives depends upon our ability to receive and to care for ourselves. It is better when we give of ourselves and receive that same love back within ourselves that makes us whole and complete.

You deserve to be loved not only by those around you but by the most important person in your life — YOU. Practicing self-love can be challenging for many of us, especially in times when we face serious battles. It’s not about being self-absorbed or narcissistic, it’s about getting in touch with ourselves, our well-being and our happiness. We practice self-love so we can push through our limiting beliefs and live a life that truly shines.

That is why we need to develop self-care practices. Self-care is about looking after your whole self. The relationship you have with yourself is crucial to your own wellbeing and the development of good health, this includes your mental, physical and spiritual strength.

So do yourself a favor, take a deep breath, give yourself a little hug and start practicing the following:

1. Start each day by telling yourself something really positive. How well you handled a situation, how lovely you look today. Anything that will make you smile.
2. Fill your body with food and drink that nourishes it and makes it thrive.
3. Don’t believe everything you think. There is an inner critic inside of us trying to keep us small and safe. The downside is this also stops us from living a full life.
4. Surround yourself with people who love and encourage you. Let them remind you just how AMAZING you are.
5. Stop the comparisons. There is no one on this planet like you, so you cannot fairly compare yourself to someone else. The only person you should compare yourself to is you.
6. Celebrate your wins no matter how big or small. Pat yourself on the back and be proud of what you have achieved.
7. Step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. It’s incredible the feeling we get when we realize we have achieved something we didn’t know or think we could do before.
8. Embrace and love the things that make you different. This is what makes you special.
9. Realize that beauty cannot be defined. It is what you see it as. Don’t let any of those Photoshopped magazines make you feel like your body isn’t perfect. Even those models don’t look like that in real life. Remember, You are Beautiful.
10. Find something to be grateful for every day. It’s inevitable that you are going to have your down days. This is fine and very human of you. It’s especially important on these days to find at least one thing you are grateful for as it helps to shift your mind and energy around what’s going on.
11. Forgive yourself. You know that thing you did one time (or maybe a few times) 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. Look at it as a learning experience and believe in your ability to change.
12. Follow your passion. You know that thing that gets you so excited but scares you at the same time. The thing you really want to do but have convinced yourself it won’t work. You should go do that!

Have fun! Get out there and do the things that light your fire. Enjoy them, enjoy being you and enjoy your incredible life because you are worth it!