The Month of Gratitude, Pt 3: Autumn Self-Gratitude

With Thanksgiving right around the corner we’re typically caught thinking about, or being asked, what we’re grateful for. And, typically, we answer back with things like coffee, laughter, and Matthew McConaughey (maybe that last one’s just me). But what if we redirected that question towards ourselves? In what ways are you grateful for yourself? And how are (or aren’t) you showing yourself that gratitude, that love? 

“What’s self-love?” you say. Self-love is the act of loving yourself in a nourishing way; it’s not just how you feel about yourself, but the actions you take to show it. 

Self-love is the way you talk to yourself and treat yourself, as well as the connections and relationships you have with others. It’s the easy stuff like taking a walk because being outside helps calm your mind, or the harder stuff like giving yourself a break and refusing to feel guilty about it, loving your imperfections, and being kind to yourself even when things don’t go as planned.

At it’s core, self-love is the relationship you have with yourself and, like any relationship, it takes a ton of communication, compassion, patience, and a willingness to meet needs even when you’re tired, busy, or just not feeling it. It’s a daily practice and that’s where self-care comes in.

Self-care: Regular actions you take, to nourish your physical, emotional/mental, personal, social, and spiritual needs, that make you feel safe, connected, taken care of, and loved. All the needs, on all the levels.  

Every time you practice self-care you’re choosing yourself, your health, your happiness and wellness; you’re choosing to show yourself love, to take care of yourself with intention. That redirection of focus from our external worlds and worries to our internal needs actually strengthens parts of our brains, helping us to better cope with things like stress and sadness.

Self-care asks: What do I need right now on a physical, emotional/mental, personal, social, and spiritual level? And then requires you go and do those things; consistently making time to do those things. Making those things, whatever they are, priorities in your life because you realize you are a priority in your own life.

So, what do you need right now? Now go do that thing. Let that be your first act of self-care on your journey towards self-love. You deserve it.