Sometimes it’s hard to find reasons to love yourself. We can think of what we’re lacking, but things we’re proud of? Not so much. It’s time to make self-love a priority. Here are some tips to creating a list of things you love about YOU. Download the free printable to take this self-love challenge today.
I struggle with self-love. I’m a perfectionist at heart and never feel like I’m living up to the expectations I place on myself. In fact, my mom has always told me I’m my own worst critic and it’s so true!
I can list a million things I don’t like about myself. I judge myself harshly. I have a hard time feeling like I’m doing enough. I hold myself to unrealistic expectations. Yada yada yada.
I think that we’re all a little bit this way–or most of us at least.
It’s time to change the norm.
Self-Love is Hard, But Self-Love is Important
Sometimes it can be hard to look at ourselves and see the good. We’re so used to looking for ways to change or be better. But looking for ways to improve often turns into looking for flaws, berating ourselves for these flaws, and then consequently not making any forward progress because why try when we’re already convinced we’re worthless?
In trying to overcome my perfectionist tendencies, I’ve learned the power behind self-love. Self-love is perhaps the most important skill we can learn. And today I’m going to share a tip for finding things you love about yourself and are proud of.
Make a List
In order to learn to love ourselves, we need to first recognize the good traits we have. And then we need to physically write them down. Something magical happens when we put pen to paper–not keys to keyboard–and physically write things out.
So where do we start? Well, we’re going to start with a list of 50–yes, five-zero–things we love about ourselves. Yes, I know it sounds intimidating, but stay with me. You can do it!
If you get stuck, try breaking it down into categories to help trigger your mind:
Physical Traits
Start with physical traits. Try to list at least 5 things you love about your body. If you can’t think of anything you love about your body, focus on what each body part does and how it helps you. So maybe you don’t like the way your eyes look, but do you love what they bring to your life? I’m guessing you do. They allow you to see! Teeth allow you to eat yummy food. Hands allow you to write or cook or take care of your kids. When you focus on what your body does for you, instead of how it looks, you’ll find plenty of reasons to love it!
Talents
Then move to talents and try to list 5 of those. Remember that talents are more than just hobbies like singing or dancing. Some people are really good at listening or coming up with fun activities for their kids or complimenting others.
Personality Traits
Next, move to personality traits. Aim for 10 of those.
Specific Accomplishments or Moments
After that, move to specific accomplishments or even small moments when you did something good. This can be something grand like “graduating summa cum laude” or something small like “when I was six I turned the $50 bill I found on the floor at Target in to customer service.” Start with your childhood and name 10. Then move to your teenage years and do another 10. Finally, focus on your adulthood and add another 10.
That should bring you to 50 things! If you’re stuck, ask a close friend, a parent, your spouse, or even a child to help you. They might say something that you’d never think of, but once they say it, you’ll realize it’s true!
Important Note for Those Who are Struggling
If you’re thinking, “50 things? I have to think about 50 things I love about myself? I can’t even think of one thing I love about myself!” First of all, I feel for you. I’ve been there. Here’s my suggestion: if you’re religious at all–even if you think you believe in God, but aren’t sure–I challenge you to pray.
Ask God to help you see the good inside of you. Ask for just a glimpse of what He sees in you. If you ask sincerely, I promise He will help you feel His love for you and you’ll be able to feel that love for yourself.
I feel so strongly that everyone deserves to feel love for themselves and everyone deserves to see a little bit of what God sees in them! And I know that He will answer your plea for help.
[bctt tweet=”For those struggling with self-love, ask God to help you see the good inside of you. Ask for just a glimpse of what He sees in you. He’ll answer your plea for help” username=”colormyhappy”]
Keep Your List Somewhere Handy
Once your list is done, put it somewhere you can see often or have easy access to it when you need a little boost. Keep it by your bed, tape it to your bathroom mirror, slide it into your journal, put it in the glovebox of your car, take a screenshot of it and keep it with you on your phone wherever you go. You can even make several copies and leave them in a few different places if you want. Then, if you’re having a moment where you’ve forgotten what you love about yourself, you can grab it and read through it for a quick reminder.
I created this free printable for you to list your items on. You can download it here or by clicking on the image below.
Reasons to Love Yourself
It’s not an easy challenge. I get that. But it’s a worthwhile one. Not many things are more important than loving yourself and modeling a healthy self-image for your kids. Maybe the challenge takes you a week to complete. Maybe it takes a month. That’s okay. Keep plugging along. With an open heart and mind, you’ll eventually find them.
I’m rooting for you!
What’s one thing you love about yourself?
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Britney is a wife and mom with a passion for helping other women see the good inside of them. She loves podcasts, polka dots, and dancing around the kitchen with her family.