Demi Lovato said it best in her new “I Love Me” song. Below are 10 things you can do to love yourself, others and the world even more than you already do:
- Practice Positive Self-talk: Positive self-talk has been shown to improve satisfaction with life, decrease stress and even physical benefits like better immune function and reduced pain. Checkout examples of re-framing to positive self-talk below:
- Negative: “I’m not going to get better” Positive:“I’ll give it another try and ask for help if needed”
- Negative: “I’m a failure” Positive: “I’m proud of myself, that took courage”
- Negative: “I hate the way my body looks” Positive: “My body is strong and allows me to live a fulfilled life”
- Improve your Physical Wellness: This includes eating a balanced diet, exercise, getting enough sleep, practicing safer sex and reducing your risk when it comes to alcohol and other drug use.
- Quiet your mind: Living in a digital world in may feel hard to disconnect but taking a screen break and letting your mind wander will do wonders for your well-being. Engage in meditation, pray or grounding in nature – any mindfulness technique will help quiet your mind.
- Be Kind: Kindness increases happiness, energy, and the good hormones: oxytocin and serotonin. Be Kind and send a kudo to a friend, family member, or a staff member who has made a positive impact on your life.
- Set attainable goals: You can aim high but unattainable goals will have a negative impact on your mental health. Utilize the SMART Technique when goal setting:
- S: Specific
- M: Measurable
- A: Attainable
- R: Relevant
- T: Time bound
- Identify small steps to be more environmentally friendly: Give back to the earth that has given so much to you! Small steps will make a big difference.
- Swap out single use plastic items to more eco-friendly options when they run out (i.e. switch from a shampoo bottle to shampoo bar)
- Host a clothing swap with friends (easy way to switch up your wardrobe without buying new clothes)
- Limit your food waste
- Unplug chargers when not in use
- And so much more
- Resist: Resist harmful messages that society forces on you.- unfollow accounts that don’t promote social issues that you stand for (body positivity, equal rights, social justice). Resist with your spending – support organizations that align with your values and don’t support places that uses degrading images or messaging. Also, speak up and out to your friends – your speer of influence is bigger than you know.
- Adopt a daily mantra: A mantra helps you focus on something bigger than yourself. Adopt a mantra, recite it daily and post it everywhere for your to see.
- Listen to music daily: Music provides a boost to your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Checkout our Body Positive Playlist below for all your self love jams.
- Be proactive in your well-being: Utilize the free services the Student Wellness Center offers. The SWC offers group presentations, educational events, and 1on1 peer coaching appointments around a variety of wellness topics.
