You’ve surely heard it before, but the most important relationship you have in your life is the one you have with yourself. There’s a lot of talk about “self-love” these days, but what exactly should it look like?

At Sömn, we know the journey to self-love is not easy, and like any challenge, it requires patience, practice, and dedication. However, the benefits are plentiful — a healthier mindset, greater personal growth, stronger motivation, and an overall higher level of satisfaction with your life. 

Here are five ideas to help you begin practicing self-love in the long run. If you dedicate yourself to routinely practicing, it will pay off tenfold.

Learn your personality type

Understanding your personality type can help you have more compassion for yourself and lift the veil on why you might do the things you do. Take a few minutes and take yourself through the 16 Personalities assessment. According to several studies, we each fall into a variation of one of these personality types. Knowing yours can help you better learn and interact with the world. The more you learn about who you are, the easier it is to appreciate what makes you different and in return be kinder and more loving to yourself.

Check your inner voice

The person we talk to the most is ourselves - Scientists estimate that we have between 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts every day. Whenever you think about something, it is a form of self-talk so you can see how important it is to control your thoughts, so are you being kind?

A positive, forgiving, and empowering inner dialogue is crucial for supporting our journey to self-love. Learn to listen to your inner voice(s) and know when they are truly speaking in your best interest.

When you feel the gloomy thoughts start to creep in, make a shift into something more positive. Show yourself kindness and focus on what you’ll do differently next time instead of what you did wrong. 

Treat yourself like you would treat others

Most of us were raised to be kind to others, but we were rarely taught to be kind to ourselves too. We need to forgive ourselves when we make mistakes. We need to stop the name-calling and the non-deserving thoughts. We need to be kind to our mind and body like we would be kind to a friend, family member or a loved one. If you wouldn’t say it to someone else, why would you say it to yourself?

Write yourself a love letter

For those of us who are more tactile learners (we learn and comprehend better through touch), try writing down your thoughts about yourself. This doesn’t mean a “journal” entry, but more like a love letter to yourself!

Grab a piece of paper (or open a new word doc) and write a letter to yourself. Write about:

• What you love and admire about yourself.
• What you’re most grateful for about yourself.
• What successes you want to celebrate with yourself.
• What you see in your future that excites you. 

If the idea of a letter isn’t your thing, write out a list of positive qualities you have or achievements that you are most proud of. Revisit it often and reflect on the parts of you that you love the most or throw the piece of paper away, it doesn’t matter, because the act of writing and acknowledge your self-worth was the most important part. 

Hug yourself 

When someone we love is suffering, we'd usually start with some basic words of comfort. "I am so sorry you are going through this," you might say. Oftentimes, you'd also pair these words with some comforting actions, like a hug or simply a hand on the shoulder.

"Uh oh," you might be thinking at this point. "Am I about to be told to give myself a hug or whisper words of comfort into my own ear?" Yes, you are - and if the idea seems silly, well, there's a reason for that.

The idea of giving yourself a hug might seem ludicrous at first, But, hey, your body doesn't know it's not "supposed" to be hugged by itself. And science show that a hug can cause your body to release oxytocin - a hormone that makes us feel more calm, safe, and relaxed. So why not give it a try next time you're feeling anxious or sad?

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At Sömn, we are huge advocates of mindful living. Being kind to yourself is the first step. You can better care for others once you have first taken care of yourself. It all starts with you. 

And we can’t forget that a good night’s sleep is another one of the best gifts you can give yourself every day of the week. You know Sömn has you covered (literally) there. Check out the latest arrivals in our luxury linen bedding department!