Love comes in all shapes, sizes, and forms and is worth exploring. To be sure, loving yourself will look different depending on the unique person you are. One idea for loving yourself is to celebrate the love you have for yourself this Valentine’s Day. While you should be loving yourself daily, this can be the day you decide to go all out.
Everyone around you knows you are working on loving yourself. One key sign of this is that you are in recovery and have come this far. Making an effort in recovery is an immense act of love toward yourself. This blog post will explore helpful ways for you to practice loving yourself, things you can do to honor where you are, and how The Guest House can assist you in your recovery.
Loving Yourself Through Self-Compassion
When you acknowledge your imperfections and accept yourself with grace and without judgment, you are demonstrating self-compassion. Most likely, you tend to be harder on yourself than anyone else. Self-compassion is about showing yourself the same support you would show someone else.
However, it is hard to practice self-compassion when you criticize yourself for every little thing that does not work out. Self-compassion teaches you to lean into your emotions and thoughts with grace and love. You can become more mindful of how you are treating yourself and start practicing compassion at any point you wish.
The best way to strengthen self-compassion is to practice it all year long. If this is a new concept, it is important to be gentle with yourself and have grace during all stages of learning to love yourself.
Reaching Out to Positive Support People
Connecting with others is one way to feel good about yourself. Finding people in your life who bring out the best in you could be one part of your effort to love yourself. After all, other people deserve love and so do you. Your positive support people can guide you to feel your best even when you are not feeling great or making positive strides.
Loving yourself does not have to be a lonely journey; it can be quite the opposite. You are in charge of who you surround yourself with and how you choose to connect with others. In recovery, it is important to connect with positive support people and situations no matter what you are going through. The process of recovery is very personal. Therefore, you want healthy support from people around you who hold you accountable. Your positive support people are those who love you for who you are. Just as they do, it is time for you to lean into loving yourself unconditionally during recovery.
Loving Yourself by Volunteering
Sometimes, you may find yourself not wanting to be alone in recovery, especially on Valentine’s Day. What better way to celebrate loving yourself than to give back? Whether it’s volunteering at the local animal shelter or serving the homeless, volunteering involves sacrificing your time to give to others.
Volunteering has many benefits not just for those you serve but also for yourself. A study published in BMC Public Health demonstrated that volunteering can improve mental and physical health, life satisfaction, and social well-being.
Loving Yourself by Treating Yourself
This is a time to recognize your worth and treat yourself to something that brings joy to your soul. There are many things you can do that can bring you happiness. Loving yourself does not have to be hard. It can be as simple as watching your favorite movie or taking time to go to the gym. You have worked hard to get to where you are at in recovery and you deserve something magical.
Ways to treat yourself well can include the following:
- Write yourself an encouraging letter
- Go to your favorite restaurant
- Practice gratitude
- Listen to your favorite song
- Schedule a massage
- Plan a trip
Loving yourself in recovery will look different for everyone as we are all on different journeys. As with anything, loving yourself will take time to perfect. Loving yourself includes being mindful of what you need to be your most effective self in the moment. Try to listen to what your body is saying and give yourself compassion.
Acts of Love at The Guest House
There are many ways to practice loving yourself. Although loving yourself may feel weird and may be a new concept to you, it is okay for you to take the needed time for yourself. At The Guest House, we understand that it takes practice to lean into loving yourself. We often suggest going easy on yourself and giving yourself the space you need to progress in your own way.
At The Guest House, connection is key to long-term recovery. We encourage connection on every level. Whether you are excited to join the alumni program or want to take advantage of individual counseling, we have something that fits every connection-related need.
Loving yourself includes all aspects of life. You are demonstrating the biggest act of love by choosing recovery, working on yourself every day to become the best version of yourself. This is not an easy journey. Choosing recovery is just one way of demonstrating love for yourself. There are many more ways to show yourself love, and we can coach you along that well-deserved path.
Leaning into loving yourself can be difficult. Most likely, you tend to be harder on yourself than anyone else. This Valentine’s Day is all about you and how you can show yourself compassion and support. Maybe throughout your life, people have disappointed you. This is your time to give back to yourself. You only have one life and you owe it to yourself to make it special and fulfilling. Loving yourself means meeting yourself right where you are at and sewing seeds of self-compassion. Make this Valentine’s Day the best one you have ever had. If you or someone you know is struggling with self-love, please do not hesitate and give us a call at (855) 483-7800 today.