Happy Self-Love Month

Being the New Year, many people are thinking about resolutions. While setting goals to improve oneself is great, it’s just as important to take the time to love and appreciate yourself for exactly who you are right now, today.

That is why January is considered “Self-Love Month”. Self-love means accepting all of yourself with compassion and without judgement. It means showing love and kindness to yourself. For a lot of us, self-love is challenging and can seem like a daunting task to start.

Often, there are things in our lives which can make it difficult to love ourselves. However, there are so many benefits of beginning your self-love journey. Research completed at Tufts University showed that self-love can lead to improved mental health, higher confidence, and less anxiety.

Practicing self-love looks different for everyone, and anyone can start today. Some examples include:

• Prioritizing your well-being
• Taking time to do activities that bring you joy
• Setting healthy boundaries
• Celebrating the “small wins”
• Speaking kindly to yourself as you would to a friend

One activity anyone can start today is to take a few minutes each day to write down one compliment about yourself. It may seem silly at first, but it’s important to take the time to be mindful of reasons that you love yourself. If it’s difficult at first, sometimes it helps to reach out to a loved one and ask what they love about you!

There are also many apps out there that provide daily affirmations to your phone that encourage a self-loving mindset. One app in particular is Native American Daily Wisdom. This app displays quotes, proverbs and affirmations from different Native American Tribes to promote kindness and self-love from cultural perspectives.

It can take time to truly start loving yourself, but practicing any of these self-love activities will help foster the love you deserve to have for yourself. So now when you think of New Year’s resolutions, I encourage you to take a moment and reflect upon reasons to love yourself in this present moment. You deserve it!

Abby Ostrowski, APSW, Mental Health Therapist
Sokaogon Chippewa Community Health Center
(715) 478-5180