Stephanie Jean

We talk a lot about self love and ways to take care of yourself, but what about knowing WHEN you need it? I’ve put together a list (that is in no way conclusive) of warning signs that you may be due for some self love.

• You’re feeling drained, physically, emotionally or spiritually.
• You’ve had a bad day at work.
• Before you leave for work, you start crying (MAJOR red flag).
• You’ve been feeling overwhelmed.
• You have less patience than normal.
• You’re avoiding something.
• You’re having difficulty concentrating.
• You haven’t been eating or sleeping well.
• You’re experiencing stress in your relationships.
• You haven’t had alone time in awhile.

When practicing self love, it is important to remember your intentions behind it and to avoid numbing difficult feelings. Self love should be practiced with the intention of feeling, comforting, accepting and then letting go- NOT wallowing.

Check in with yourself often. Be aware of your behaviors and how they affect you; for example, a mani/pedi will make you feel good, but going on a $5,000 shopping spree will ultimately leave you and your bank account feeling lousy. A nature walk will leave you feeling energized, but a season of your favorite Netflix series will have you feeling like a lump. Do you catch my drift?

Make a vow to yourself, the way doctors make a vow to their future patients: do no harm.

Have you been keeping up with the #SelfCareDare? I have! Today’s challenge is to write four self love haikus, and I thought I would post them here.

You, beautiful you
Once just a caterpillar
Now a butterfly
*
Manifest power
You already have it all
Go change the world now.
*
Feel, believe and be.
Uniquely. Entirely.
You’re the only one.
*
Do not be so scared.
You have nothing to run from.
Beautifully glow.

That challenge was difficult- I am BY NO MEANS a poet, and even more self conscious about sharing my creative writing. Even the creative writing I believe to be good. Anyway, I thought I would swallow my insecurities and post it, so you can be sure that I practice what I preach. 😉

Until next time…