Top 7 Self-Love Activities

My top 7 Self-love activities are some things that I do to help myself grow spiritually. I like to find my center in things that I enjoy to help me stay grounded and feel happy in life. These activities are forms of self-love because I'm filling up on energy from the universe to help me express myself more. This is my list. You can copy mine or create your own. The important thing is that you have a regular self-care and self-love routine that keeps you happy even when times are tough. The 7 self-love activities that I use are:

1. Introspection, journaling, talk therapy

2. Meditation

3. Prayer or Ritual

4. Taking a bath

5. Artistic Expression

6. Listening to music

7. Dancing or Physical Exercise

1. Introspection, Journaling, Talk therapy

I regularly journal at least 3 pages each day in free-writing. I came upon this practice when I read about it in "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron. Millions of readers have found this to be an invaluable book on living as a creative being. It's important that we analyze our own thoughts regularly because our truest selves are sometimes looked deep inside of us. We need time for journaling and talking out our problems.

Therapists are trained to help you make better sense of your whole experience in life. Most therapists also need therapy. As you get help sorting out your own problems and begin a regular journaling practice, you are loving yourself. This is time spent just for you do you can become a stronger person. It's an essential part of all self-lone practices. I highly suggest this practice to my friends and family because I do it myself, and it has helped me tremendously.

2. Meditation

Meditation is a form of self lone because you are dedicating time for yourself that allows you to connect with your true self. There's no better way to learn about the awareness of the present moment and love each moment as it is than through meditation. There are many forms of meditation practices and mantras you can try but the goal of the meditation practice should be that you practice the skills necessary to help you in all of the rest of your life.

The easiest thing to do is to spend time in a comfortable sitting position being aware of only the sensation of breathing in through your nose slowly (you can use the count of 5) and breathing out of your mouth slowly. You can choose to hold your breath to the count of 5 before exhaling if you want. Let all thoughts slip away and bring your awareness only to your breath. If your mind slips to other thoughts gently remind it to focus on your breath. Do this practice for 2 minutes to start and slowly increase the time you practice each day.

What this is doing is training your mind and body to relax, which will change the way you respond to others all throughout the rest of your life. The regular practice of meditation is a wonderful self-love tool to have. It leads into a regular mindfulness practice where you live each moment in a state of full awareness, which helps you establish healthier habits in life. Loving yourself means being aware of who you are in each moment so you can respond to life in healthy ways.

3. Prayer or Ritual

When I need a way to feel better and love myself more, I rely on prayer or ritual. I believe in omnism, which is the belief that all religions and religious or spiritual texts have valuable truths that helps us grow in our lives. I welcome all religions because the belief in just one wasn’t enough for me. I grew up Catholic, but I later realized that I’m more spiritual than what is typically understood as religious. I had to develop my own form of prayer and ritual that resonated as true to me.

Whatever way you decide to express your devotion to spiritual pursuits, it’s necessary that you have something to rely on to help you understand yourself and love yourself more. My rituals include elements of Wicca because I like to engage my senses and use incense. Texts such as “A Course in Miracles” offers me inspiration and so does the Bible so I spend time reading these and thinking about how they apply to my life. Self-love involves a connection to something greater than yourself and an acknowledgement of your special role in the world.

4. Taking a Bath

Taking a bath is a form of self-love because water senses and revitalizes the soul. It’s important that we wash away things that have collected on our bodies during the day, and taking time for a bath with scented candles and the right bath bombs or essential oils is one of the best ways to replenish our energy. This form of self-love is physical and brings us into the present moment allowing us to fully enjoy something refreshing and soothing. Make your bath a form of self-love by making it special.

Be sure to let your muscles be soothed by the warm water. You may even want to dunk your head for a bit so you have a moment to shut out the world and be at peace. Loving yourself means taking a bath without interruptions so lock the door and make sure you won’t be bothered for a while. Setting boundaries and keeping external stimuli out just for a short time is an essential part of loving yourself more.

5. Artistic Expression

There are many ways to express yourself artistically. Try painting, drawing, creating memes, photography, knitting, creative writing, crafting, or any other form of artistic expression. Use your art to express how you feel about a specific situation. You can meditate on a theme before you begin your art to help you hone in on exactly what you’re trying to express. Schedule time in your schedule to express yourself through some form of art.

Self-love activities should make you feel good about yourself but they can also help you connect to your shadow side. Your shadow is the part of yourself that you’d rather not see. It’s the dark side of yourself. Artistic expression can help you explore themes related to your insecurities so ask yourself some difficult questions before you start, and you will get surprising results.

6. Listening to Music

Music has been a large part of my life. I was naturally inclined to play instruments as a child, and I enjoyed trying to play as many instruments as possible. As I got older, I stopped playing my instrument but listening to music remained an important part of my routine. Music helps to calm the mind, and sound therapy used in meditation connects us to higher dimensions of reality through different frequencies. Read this article for more information about sound therapy and how it can be used.

Engaging with different brain waves through sound is possible. We can activate our minds by playing sounds in specific frequencies. According to one article I found, ”certain frequencies of sound are used as part of therapies in order to manipulate human brainwaves to promote healing of the body and mind. Sound frequency healing has been used to treat several different kinds of ailments such as insomnia, anxiety, depression, and disorders of the nervous system.” (https://mindisthemaster.com/sound-frequency-healing-human-body-benefits/ (https://mindisthemaster.com/sound-frequency-healing-human-body-benefits/) This article discusses the way different frequencies in Hz have an affect on the human body. Solfeggio frequencies have the benefit of liberating one from negative feelings, transforming broken situations, DNA repair, fixing interpersonal relationships, solving problems, creative expression, and spiritual enlightenment. Read the article for more specifics about sound therapy.

7. Dancing or Physical Exercise

Physical movement is an important part of our lives. Self-love involves moving the body as much as it does resting the body. We need physical exercise to keep our bodies fit for the service that we do for others in the world. Make time for exercise each day. It’s easy to set a timer and dance around for 15 minutes. It’s a simple practice that gets you feeling good about yourself.

I notice that I feel my best when I get at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise each day. This is sometimes in the form of dancing to music that I like, a walk, or riding my indoor bike. I notice the most benefits when I do an hour of cardio. I vary the amount of time I move each day, but the most important part is that I move enough. Without time to freely express myself through my body, I become irritable and moody. Physical movement is regular therapy for the mind as much as it is for the body.

Summary

Self-love activities come in many different forms. My daily routine involves at least one form of self-love. I schedule the time into my calendar and make sure that I stick to my appointments with myself. Making a commitment to my own development has made me a stronger person. I find that I can handle most of life’s challenges better when I work on improving myself. Create a list of activities you can do for yourself and pull from that list each day. You’ll notice the benefits of self-love right away. Your needs are important so you need to put yourself first even if it’s for just 30 minutes each day.