11 Ways to be Kinder to Yourself: Self Love & Self Confidence

I really do believe it is of the upmost importance that we are confident and loving ourselves.

Today's post is going to take more of a personal route because it's something I feel passionate about and something I've been struggling a bit with the past month (I mentioned this yesterday on Snapchat 'Adaleta' if you'd like to add me.) I want to break down the idea of being kinder to yourself, growing self confidence and embracing everything you have to offer.
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Health has a big part in actualizing how we feel. It's important to move your body, increase your heart rate because this in turn will increase those serotonin levels. When I was in high school, I was extremely active running 10+ miles a day for the cross country team and 'runner's high' is definitely a thing. After you've completed the running or the workout, you feel a happy high that really perpetuates the rest of your mood for the entire day. Although cheesy, the quintessential temple analogy is true. Your body is like a temple and you have to be kind and respectful by giving your body the nutrients it needs. Fruits and veggies, more green, less meat, etc. You know the drill.

Balance. I'm a big believer of eating whatever you want when you want to, within reason. For example, I would not recommend eating pizza (although absolutely delicious) every night for dinner. But if your coworkers decide to get pizza for lunch once a month, don't deprive yourself because you know pizza isn't healthy. Everything within reason is okay and you don't want to mentally psych yourself out and make yourself feel like you're depriving yourself of something. FOMO is a thing, so just don't deprive yourself.

Sleep. I am the crankiest, moodiest, most unpleasant human being to be around when I have not had any sleep. Seriously. I don't want to be around me when I've gotten three hours of sleep. Make sure you rest as much as you can afford to each and every single night. This will also help your mind set, your body's overall health and not to mention your sanity. If you stay up late one night working on a project, ask your boss if it's acceptable that you come in a little later the next morning because you were working on that presentation in your free time. You need your rest.

Self love. It is your responsibility to make yourself feel appreciated. You cannot rely on those around you to do this for you. Buy yourself some flowers, don't wait for the man in your life to do it. And don't ever think because the man in your life doesn't buy you flowers once a week that he doesn't care about you. Make yourself feel loved by loving yourself and embracing your unique traits. Everyone else will follow suit.

Compliment yourself. We compliment others like it's nobody's business. At least, I know I do. "Cute bag, cute shirt, cute sunglasses, you look great today!" Why not say those things to yourself? The hardest thing about being your unique you, is that you are your toughest critic and sometimes you forget to compliment yourself on those quirky things about you that make you a little shy or a little nervous to communicate to others. You've got a 6th toe? Embrace it! Sometimes it seems so hard to love yourself, but you have only yourself in this world. Sure there's family and friends but you are your own captain. You dictate your life and you feel your emotions regardless of what the person next to you is feeling. Treat yourself with kindness and respect, like how you treat your grandma, your next door neighbor, your coworker, etc. Do not deprive yourself of your own kindness.

Criticism. It's hard not to criticize yourself, especially if you're mature enough to understand that only you have the power to change your future and how you feel. You only have yourself to blame and you only have yourself to reward. Try your hardest not to be your toughest critic. You are beautiful, you are kind, you are smart, you are a boss babe. Remember the things about yourself that you would write in a resume. Repeat those things to yourself on days you're feeling cranky, tired or extremely low. Remind yourself you are more than what your cranky self is telling you.

Accept that you're not funny. I know this may seem harsh, but we cannot all be funny. Similarly we cannot all be extremely athletic, the most personable, etc. Accept the things that may not necessarily describe you and embrace the excellent qualities you are great at. For instance, perhaps you're not the funniest but you are the most incredible host and all your girlfriends want you to plan the get togethers. Just because you're not one particular quality does not mean that you are more or less than the person who does have that quality. Remind yourself.

Listen to your favorite music. There's something about listening to a few of my favorite songs that is so uplifting and makes me smile every single time, even if I've overplayed the song. I belt out the words as I drive around town. Rap a little. Sing a little. Dance a little. It'll put a smile on your face.

Enjoy the outdoors. There's something beautiful about being one with nature. I went skiing for the first time in my life, on my recent trip to Norway, and it was so peaceful being out in the snow. I completely understand the appeal of skiing, snowboarding and winter sports. You're out in nature, and there's something so calming about the snow. Similarly going for a hike or walk will let you think through your thoughts and enjoy the company of the outdoors.

Don't panic when things don't go as planned. It's important to react to situations in a positive open minded way. I would say that adapting to scenarios is your best bet at reducing stress and unnecessary panic in your life. Life doesn't always go as planned and most of the time, there's nothing you can do. You have to remember that a lot of what happens to us is caused by the energy of those around us.

All in all, I think it's important to do things that make you feel good. Whether that is reading a book, riding a bicycle, eating a donut (balance is key) you really need to focus on happiness and finding the best route for yourself. It takes a lot of practice to learn to be patient with yourself, but when you reach that point you will feel significantly less stress and your overall happiness will increase.

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I'd love to hear ways you are kinder to yourself. Let's discuss this in the comments down below.