Self care comes in many different forms and can be applied both physically and mentally. In my experience, when I come up to a mentally disparaging road block, I give myself an opportunity to relax and think about ways to make myself feel better and analyze why I feel the way I do. In the midst of doing this, I have found that there are three things that I do that have worked wonders on my self-esteem and forced me to appreciate myself more often.
No. 1: Try Listening to ASMR
Shhhhh! Listen! Listen! Listen! I know that the idea is a little far fetched, but there are so many different types of ASMR, I promise that it is not all just talking and eating videos. There are finger fluttering, finger tapping, water sounds and so much more. Think about a rainy day, the background noise of the rain outside is calming to people and the same calmness can be obtained from ASMR. If the idea is too far fetched for you then you should try listening to the sounds of the ocean or waterfalls to empty your mind of the baggage that it has built up throughout the day. Taking a moment to just exist and let the sounds consume you allow time to rid yourself of stress so you can loosen up and rightfully give yourself the break that you deserve. I feel as though ASMR is a distant cousin to meditation because you are taking a moment to soak everything in through relaxation, and by giving yourself a moment of freedom from your worldly responsibilities, you are healing your mind.
No. 2: Be Your Own Cheerleader
Have you ever heard of words of affirmation? Think of words of affirmation as positive things that someone says to you that make you feel good about yourself and feel like everything is going to be O.K. Consider yourself as the positivity deliverer in your own life and I guarantee you that you will be happier. You don’t need anyone to tell you that you are a great person when you can do that for yourself. Of course, it is nice to hear nice words from others, but you should not let your peers dictate your self image. So, take some time to hype yourself up and fall in love with yourself. Look in the mirror and find your positive attributes, whether it be mental or physical and remind yourself that you are one of a kind. You are special. You are unique. You do not need the validation of others if know who you are and you know your worth. Recognize yourself as valuable and tell that you’re doing a great job to keep the positive juices flowing from the crevices of your mind and leaking into your beautiful reality.
No 3: Be Honest with Yourself
Honesty is the best policy is how the saying goes in interpersonal relationships, but how about intrapersonal relationships? A really great way to go about loving yourself is to be honest with yourself. If you do something wrong and you recognize that what you did was wrong, reflect on the decisions you made and how you will fix it, and do better in the future. If something makes you upset, try looking at the situation from an objective viewpoint and figure out whether or not it’s worth taking up space in your head or not. Love yourself, but don’t put yourself on a pedestal of perfection because that only leads to disappointment. By being able to recognize your wrongdoings and fix them accordingly, you gain all the more reason to love yourself as you evolve into a wiser and more complex human being.
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