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How to Have a Self Love Summer!

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While we all look forward to the fun, sun and excitement of summer, it’s often a season in which our self love takes a hit. Whether it be struggles with body image, comparing your staycation to lavish holidays on instagram or simply having more free time to spend wallowing, we all need to give ourselves a break this summer break.

Make this summer a summer of self love where you invest in yourself, the things your enjoy and what matters most to you!

woman standing near body of water
Photo by Serkan Göktay on Pexels.com

What’s In this Summer

  • Being mindful of how you speak to yourself
  • Positive affirmations
  • Hyping yourself up!
  • Being your own best friend
  • Taking care of you and your body
  • Spending time on things you love
  • Using healthy tools to cope with emotions (examples – hobbies, exercise, therapy, chatting calmly to loved ones, getting outdoors, meditation)

What’s Out this Summer

  • Negative self talk
  • Comparing your body to others
  • Doom scrolling (wasting time on social media)
  • Depending on unhealthy vices to cope with emotions
  • Comparing your life to others (in real life/on social media)
  • Letting fear of failure/judgement get in the way of your happiness

Self Care Summer

A major aspect of self love is self care. If you love someone you take care of them, right? So why not do the same for yourself? Make self care a top priority this summer (yes, put it above that coffee you don’t really want to go on and that favour you’re about to say yes to because you feel like you should and definitely put it ahead of sabotaging yourself by going on your phone at 1am!) For many of us, taking care of others is a core element of our lives but when it comes to ourselves we don’t seem to feel it’s that important (what strange creatures we are!)

There are so many aspects of our lives to take care of, it can start to feel overwhelming. Start with the thing you’ve been neglecting the most and move from there.

What’s been pushed to the wayside in your life?

  • Sleep
  • Nutrition
  • Exercise
  • Skin care (don’t forget suncream!)
  • Relationships with others
  • Relationship with yourself
  • Relaxation
woman lying on bathtub
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Pack Your Summer Vibes!

What vibes are you giving off this summer? What energy do you want to bring to a room? What persona do you want to embody?

Pick a vibe for ‘Summer You’ to keep you on track to having the summer you want!

Here’s a list for inspiration!

  • Calm
  • Loving
  • Fun
  • Energetic
  • Self-assured
  • Happy
  • Enthusiastic
  • Grounded
  • Confident
  • Open minded
  • Peaceful
selective focus photography of smiling girl near beach
Photo by Alexavier Rylee Cimafranca on Pexels.com

Self Love Summer Checklist (Things To Do)

  • Pamper yourself. Take a bath, do your nails, make yourself feel special.
  • Spend more time on things that bring you joy. Everyone has activities that put a pep in their step (for me it’s dancing, nature walks and singing). Let’s do more of these things this summer!
  • Do something you’ve always wanted to do. Whether it be bungie jumping, joining a theatre group or hosting a barbecue just do it! Life’s too short to put your dreams on hold!
  • Go to your favourite places. Do you have a real life ‘happy place?’ Is it by the sea? At your local cafe? On your sofa with a good book? Spend more time in the spaces where you feel most content.
  • Surround yourself with the people who raise your spirits. Spend more time with the people who matter and make you feel loved.
woman kneeling on shoreline
Photo by Oleksandr P on Pexels.com

Tips for Self Love

  • Treat yourself like a friend. This includes how you take care of yourself, how you talk to yourself and how you speak about yourself to others. No more neglecting your needs and putting yourself down!
  • Do what’s best for you. Not what you think you should do, not what you think others want you to do but what’s best for you.
  • Invest in yourself. If you’re fortunate enough to find yourself with extra free time this summer, invest it in YOU. Spend more time on things you really enjoy, skills you want to learn and real relaxation.

Summary

  • Ins & Outs for this summer
  • Self care is just as important as caring for others
  • Let’s bring positive vibes to this summer
  • Prioritise YOU and be kind to yourself

If you enjoyed this post feel free to like & subscribe!

Take care! xx

If you want more advice on self care, click here for ‘Real Self Care’, a book by psychiatrist Pooja Lakshmi, who has experienced first hand the challenges a life in medicine has on our mental health.

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