In this episode, we look at three tiny yet effective ways to practice self-love, even when you’re busy and exhausted.

Inner Monkey: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inner-monkey/id1440076093

The Problem

How do you practice self-love? How do you learn to love yourself? And, when you are incredibly busy or tired or frustrated, how do you continue to fit it in?

Digging Deeper

Self-love is defined as a regard for one’s own well-being and happiness. Now of course this idea can be taken too far. There is no end to narcissistic individuals who believe their priority of self at the expense of others is a good thing. But self-love is inherently a good thing.

If we look at that definition, a regard for one’s own well being and happiness, it simplifies things. In order to practice self-love we simply need to start paying attention to the things that affect our well-being and happiness.

The Solution

Get More and Better Sleep

Getting more sleep is one of the first things you can do for yourself that can produce the biggest results. With lack of sleep comes lack of patience, an inability to focus, and a number of other negatives that can bleed into the rest of your life.

By getting just 20-30 minutes more of good quality sleep you can improve your overall quality of life significantly and position yourself to accomplish more each day.

Eat Happier

We often set eating healthier as a goal we want to work towards. We may do this because we want to lose weight or for any number of other reasons but it is one of the more common goals out there.

With that said, eating happier on it’s own can also be an amazing way to practice self-love. Think about how you feel when you eat poorly. Maybe you get a stomach ache. Maybe you feel disappointed in yourself for breaking you goal. But when you focus on eating happy you give yourself permission to eat some of those “less healthy” foods while also giving yourself permission to eat the things that are healthy. It's the best of both worlds.

Start Your Day for Yourself or End it With Yourself

I’ve talked about this before and I want to reiterate it here. Making time for yourself is critical to your own growth and development. And without your growth and progress you won’t be able to truly serve everyone else around you.

It can be tough to find the time during the day to prioritize your own issues. Between work, school, your family, your friends, your health and other things taking time for yourself and your mental health can often be pushed to the back.

This tip is about starting your day for you. Wake up 10 minutes earlier and be with yourself, by yourself. Do a meditation, get a quick stretch in, go for a walk, or do nothing. Whatever YOU want to do with no input from anyone else.

If you’re struggling to get it done in the morning then try ending your day for you instead. Block off those last 10 minutes of the day or just let it happen naturally in bed. Do something that is yours and yours alone. Make the choice for yourself. That’s such a rare luxury now a days as we all live in a reactionary space but it doesn’t have to be. ‘

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Imagining the Apocalypse | Lecture by scholar of religion Seth Bledsoe