10 Ways to Love Yourself Daily

“Picture yourself when you were five. In fact, dig out a photo of you at that time and tape it to your mirror. How would you treat her, love her, feed her? How would you nurture her if you were the mother of little you? I bet you would protect her fiercely while giving her space to spread her itty-bitty wings. She'd get naps, healthy food, imagination time, and adventures into the wild. If playground bullies hurt her feelings you'd hug her tears away and give her perspective. When tantrums or meltdowns turned her into a poltergeist you'd demand a loving timeout in the naughty chair. From this day forward I want you to extend that same compassion to your adult self.” - Kris Carr

We all know we should love ourselves in exactly the body and mindset we are in right now, but how are we supposed to do that and everything else we have to get done in a day's time? Thanks to sites like Pinterest it's easier than ever to find a list of 50 or 101 ways to love yourself, but let's be real, no one has that kind of time everyday. Enter a list of 10 ways to love yourself throughout your day.

1. Exercise

Yes, you've heard this, read it, and thought I'm going to do that a thousand times. And here it is again. Exercising daily is one of the best ways to show your body some love. This doesn't have to be a full trip to the gym or an hour of cardio, just get your body moving. Adding 10 to 30 minutes of exercise to your day will help improve your strength, balance, flexibility, mobility, energy, and mood! It's important to do an exercise that's right for your body and goals, work with your doctor to determine what's the best plan for you. For a guided workout I love Daily Burn, but if you're looking for something a bit more budget friendly I also found several Jillian Michaels workout DVDs at the Dollar Tree and you can pick up these types of DVDs at your local superstore as well.

2. Hydrate

Yep, this is another one you see EVERYWHERE. That's because it works. Keeping your body hydrated with plenty of water, that's right the plain flavorless stuff, has amazing benefits. I just add a flavor packet to make it a bit easier on the ol' taste buds. To minimize my impact on the landfill I picked up this great TAL water bottle and refill it through out the day. Proper hydration can help with weight loss, irregular bowel movements, the appearance and texture of your skin, increased energy, and even keeps you from being hungry all the time. There are different ways to measure how much water you should drink from the 8 glasses a day to half your body weight in ounces, so to be sure you're hydrating properly consult your doctor because you can over hydrate!

3. Get a full night's sleep.

That's right a full 8 hours of good uninterrupted sleep. Your sleep cycle is pivotal to your health. Sleeping helps your body to recharge and recover from your day. It gives your mind a break from stressing about what went wrong at the office that spilled over into your burnt dinner. Sleep allows you to refresh your thoughts and let's your body rest and recover from that awesome workout or long day on your feet.

4. Have a DIY spa day.

Take the day for yourself, enjoy a quick yoga or stretching workout and set yourself up for a relaxing day. Apply a deep conditioner to your hair, sit around in a comfy robe with a face mask on, polish your fingers and toes, then play soothing music while you sink into a hot bath. For more info on my full DIY spa day click here. No time for a full spa day, create a mini spa while you shower with soothing music, a great candle, and a shower steam bomb.

5. Declutter your office or living space.

Physical clutter can be a reflection of a cluttered mind. Regularly clearing out the trash and clutter from the areas you spend the most time in and help keep your mind open and clear. Take a couple minutes each day to organize the papers you stuck in your desk drawer for later, pick up all the pens you've grabbed throughout the day, and toss any trash you have. Coming in to a clean desk makes for a less overwhelming start to your day. At home make sure your laundry is in the hamper before bed, trash and dishes are cleared from the counters, and any small messes are cleaned up. Coming home to a space you don't immediately need to clean is more inviting and relaxing than letting it pile up. On that note, when you do these few small tasks each day they take much less time than leaving them for a designated cleaning day.

6. Treat Yourself

Find a small victory each day and reward yourself accordingly. Maybe you watch an episode of your favorite tv show, each a piece of chocolate, or take an extra long bubble bath. These are easy and inexpensive rewards that positively reinforce your actions, and train your brain to keep setting goals. Occasionally reward yourself with something bigger, like that new eye pallet or hand bag you've been pining over all month. Even if it isn't something you need, you've worked hard all month and you deserve the things you want. Just be sure not to go overboard and keep your budget in check so you don't end up regretting your purchase later.

7. Create Something

There is nothing more rewarding than getting creative. It stretches your imagination and opens you up to new ideas and experiences. We've all got that Pinterest board of DIYs, so get started on it today. I love creating both with writing and creating physical items. Some of my favorite things to create are items I can use in my home or give as gifts like these Tile Coasters or Wine Glass Charms.

8. Do something new.

What better way to love yourself than to discover yourself. Try something new and find out what you do and don't enjoy doing. It can be anything; trying a new recipe, listening to a new song or music genre, learning a new language, or writing from a new prompt or a genre you wouldn't have otherwise ventured into. The possibilities are endless.

9. List 5 things you love about yourself, or that you are grateful for.

Let's go back to that positive reinforcement, it teaches your brain to think positively and focus on what's going well in your life. Writing down the things you love about yourself is a reminder that you are amazing, and helps build that positive reinforcement. If you can't think of 5 things everyday then add things you are grateful for to keep your brain thinking positively.

10. Brain Dump

A brain dump can be done anytime. I like to do one when I'm feeling overwhelmed, I just have a lot on my mind, and before bed. I write down a list of everything that's on my mind. This gives you a list of what's important to you in that moment, and then you can break that list down and focus on one item at a time without the fear of forgetting anything. Clearing your mind allows you to think things through and feel refreshed. It also gives you that “lifted weight” feeling. I love doing this before bed and creating a list of the six most important things to do the next day because it frees my mind for peaceful sleep!