6 Tips in Creating a Healthy Relationship with Yourself
Being in the wellness industry, it's important for our brand to support overall wellness, and that includes lots of self-love. It's so easy to compare your life to our friends, or even strangers on the internet. We're a brand that encourages you to take care of yourself, starting with a safe option for deodorant. Here are ways our author, Trevor McDonald, encourages more self-love:
When we think of wellness, most of us think about things like diet, exercise & natural products. The term, however, encompasses so much more than taking care of our physical selves. If you want to be truly healthy, you must create a healthy relationship with yourself. And it’s not as easy as it sounds.
Loving and accepting yourself for who you are takes a lot of work. It’s a process that involves a great deal of self-reflection. But this work is essential if you want to thrive in other areas of your life.
Here are six tips to help you create a healthy relationship with yourself.
1. Recognize negative self-talk
Everyone has a voice inside their head that guides their decisions. But for most of us, this voice can do more harm than good. It’s the nagging notion that we’re not quite good enough or strong enough, or just plain enough. This voice may be obvious or completely subconscious. But if you’re engaging in any sort of negative self-talk, you can bet it's getting in the way of your life. The first step to battling this beast is recognizing it. Once you recognize this dialogue, you can begin to rewrite the script.
2. Get to know yourself
How many of your decisions do you make for yourself? If you’re like most, it’s not many. Oftentimes, we make most of our decisions to please other people. And we can do this for so long that we forget what makes us happy. Start making small decisions that are only for you. Choose a movie that you want to see, or take a vacation by yourself (even if it's a short getaway or staycation). Oftentimes, it’s easier to make decisions for yourself when you step away from the people who have the most influence on your life.
3. Practice gratitude for your physical self
You can practice gratitude for your physical self by eating well and exercising, but this tip involves more than just a healthy relationship with food and fitness. It’s about taking time to appreciate all your body has done for you. We have a tendency to ignore our bodies until something goes wrong. You probably don’t think much about breathing until your nasal passages get blocked. And you don’t think about your digestive system until you get stomach virus. But these systems are amazing and deserve our appreciation.
To practice gratitude for your physical self, consider meditating, eating a balanced diet, using natural body care products like PiperWai and taking on an exercise routine.
4. Show compassion
Are you your own worst critic? If so, you’re definitely not alone. That’s a common sentiment in our society. We tend to cut other people many more brakes than we do for ourselves.
But next time you’re beating yourself up, take a step back and think about what you’d say to a friend. You’d probably be a lot more compassionate to a friend than you would yourself.
Now, imagine a friend talked to you the way you talk to yourself. You wouldn’t be friends much longer, would you?
That’s why you need to start showing yourself more compassion. You simply can’t have a good relationship with yourself if you’re constantly engaged in this internal struggle.
5. Stop judging others
Even the kindest among us has judgmental thoughts. Maybe you don’t even utter them aloud, but they’re there. It’s not something to be ashamed of, but judging others is a bad habit you may want to curb. This isn’t about the other people. It’s about your own wellbeing.
Whenever you’re judging someone else, it says something about you. Most likely, you’re attempting to cover up your own insecurity. But when you practice kindness, including kind thoughts, you’ll become more mindful of your own thoughts and actions.
6. Spend some time alone
How do you connect best with a friend or family member? Alone time is a great way to cut out the noise, so you can connect on a deep level. The same holds true for yourself. Not everyone has the time to take a solo vacation, but even a short stint on your own can be beneficial. If you can, take a drive or a road trip somewhere on your own. Turn up the radio and enjoy the scenery. When it’s just you and the open road, it’s easy to work on your relationship with yourself. If that's not possible, find a nearby trail with beautiful scenery so you can take a long walk.
Although it may take some time and effort, it’s crucial to create a healthy relationship with yourself if you want to lead a healthy, happy life. Follow these 6 tips to look inward and improve your relationship with yourself.
